Significance of fascin expression in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Fascin is an actin-binding protein which is expressed in the basal areas of healthy squamous epithelium. Although overexpression of fascin has been shown in many tumours, the relationship between fascin and laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma has not previously been investigated, to the best of our knowledge. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between fascin expression and tumour behaviour in 30 cases of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

For all lesions, a section of paraffin-embedded tissue was immunohistochemically stained for fascin. The percentage of positive, stained cells was scored from one to five (one = 0-5 per cent, two = 6-25 per cent, three = 26-50 per cent, four = 51-75 per cent and five = 76-100 per cent), and the staining intensity from one to three (one = mild, two = moderate and three = strong). A total immunohistochemical fascin expression score was obtained by multiplying the staining percentage and intensity. The relationship between the total fascin score and each case's age, sex, tumour localisation, tumour-node-metastasis stage and differentiation was evaluated statistically.

Various amounts of fascin expression were observed in all cases. There was a statistically significant relationship between high levels of fascin expression (i.e. a total fascin score of 10 or more) and the cases' tumour stage (p = 0.022), node stage (p = 0.024) and clinical stage (p = 0.014). In addition, worsening tumour differentiation was associated with an increasing fascin score, but this finding was statistically insignificant.

These results suggest that laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas with high levels of fascin expression may be more aggressive than those with low expression levels. Further studies with larger series are needed to support these results and to clarify rationales.