Article Text
Abstract
Introduction/Background The aim of this study was to compare the protein overexpression and gene copy number (GCN) of c-MET in uterine cervical cancer and to assess their prognostic roles.
Methodology MET protein expression and GCN status were determined using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and silver in situ hybridization (SISH), respectively, in 117 cervical cancers comprising 83 squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), 23 adenocarcinomas (ACs), 7 adenosquamous cell carcinomas (ASCCs), and 4 other types. All cases had been operated and followed up at a single institute in Seoul, Korea.
Results MET protein overexpression was observed in 45 of 117 (38.5%) cervical cancers, with IHC 2+ in 40 and IHC 3+ in 5. The overexpression rates of SCCs, ACs, ASCCs, and other types were 31.3%, 73.9%, 14.3%, and 25.0%, respectively. MET protein overexpression with IHC 3+ was only in ACs. MET protein overexpression with IHC 3+ was correlated with worse overall survival (OS) (P=0.001) and progression-free survival (PFS) (P=0.000). High polysomy (HP) of chromosome 7 and gene amplification (GA) were found in 6 (5.1%) and 0 of the 117 cervical cancers, respectively. Three of 6 cases were SCCs and the other 3 cases were ACs. However, GCN was not applicable (NA) to 16 (13.7%) of 117 cases. Cervical cancer cases with negative MET SISH tended to be associated with better prognoses without a statistical significance compared with HP and NA cases (OS, P=0.302; PFS, P=0.101). MET protein overexpression with IHC 3+ was significantly correlated with poor OS and PFS.
Conclusion MET IHC may serve as a biomarker for poor prognosis in patients with cervical cancer.
Disclosure Nothing to disclose.