Immunohistochemical markers of prognostic value in surgical pathology

Immunohistochemical methods have enjoyed rapid growth in application and utility since their initial adaptation to paraffin sections 20 years ago. Initial applications were directed primarily to the identification of cell and tumor sub-types (lineage related markers). More recently immunohistochemical markers have been described that show great promise in determining tumor prognosis, at a very early stage of tumor development, independent of stage and grade. This review surveys the recent use of immunohistochemistry in prognosis, and offers some speculation as to areas of future promise.