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Updated: Sep 10, 2025
Intravital Microscopy of the Inguinal Lymph Node
Published on: April 4, 2011
ROS1 Expression Correlates With Inguinal Lymph Node Affection in Vulvar Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Study
Meletios P Nigdelis1, Annick Bitterlich2, Mariam Parvanta2
1Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, Saarland University Medical Center (UKS), Homburg, Germany.
Purpose:
Systemic treatment options for vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC) are limited. ROS1, a tyrosine kinase implicated, for example, in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), has recently shown responsiveness to tyrosine kinase inhibitors. This study investigated immunohistochemical ROS1 expression in VSCC to explore its potential as a future therapeutic target in this rare malignancy.
Methods:
In this retrospective study, 48 patients with VSCC undergoing vulvectomy were included. Clinicopathological data were collected in a standardized manner. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to assess ROS1 expression on an ordinal scale from 0 (absent staining) to 3 (> 50% of neoplastic cells demonstrated cytoplasmatic staining); levels 0 and 1 were considered negative, while 2 and 3 were rated as positive. After differences and correlations with clinicopathological parameters were evaluated between positive and negative tumors, we fitted logistic regression and survival models to assess the association of ROS1 with inguinal lymph node involvement and overall survival. Statistical analysis was conducted using GraphPad and Jamovi.
Results:
ROS1 IHC levels were associated with lymph node involvement [odds ratio (OR) 2.396, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.034-5.555, logistic regression, p = 0.042]. ROS1 positive tumors demonstrated no difference in overall survival compared with negative ones [hazards ratio (HR) 0.837, 95% CI 0.283-2.479, log-rank (Mantel-Cox) test, p = 0.738].
Conclusion:
ROS1 expression was associated with inguinal lymph node involvement but not overall survival among VSCC patients. Further studies are required to elucidate the role of ROS1 in VSCC therapeutics.
Insights
ROS1 expression in vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC) is linked to lymph node involvement but not overall survival. Further research is needed to explore ROS1 as a therapeutic target for VSCC.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pathology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Systemic treatment options for vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC) are limited.
- ROS1, a tyrosine kinase, shows promise as a therapeutic target in other cancers like non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate immunohistochemical ROS1 expression in VSCC.
- To explore the potential of ROS1 as a future therapeutic target in VSCC.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of 48 VSCC patients.
- Immunohistochemistry (IHC) to assess ROS1 expression (0-3 scale).
- Logistic regression and survival models to analyze ROS1 association with lymph node involvement and overall survival.
Main Results:
- ROS1 expression was significantly associated with inguinal lymph node involvement (OR 2.396, p=0.042).
- No significant difference in overall survival was observed between ROS1-positive and ROS1-negative VSCC tumors (HR 0.837, p=0.738).
Conclusions:
- ROS1 expression correlates with lymph node metastasis in VSCC.
- ROS1 is not currently associated with overall survival in VSCC patients.
- Further investigation is warranted to clarify ROS1's role in VSCC therapeutics.
