Immunohistochemical c-kit expression in uterine serous carcinoma tissue.

Abstract

Uterine serous carcinoma (USC) is an aggressive tumor that represents only 10% of endometrial cancer cases but accounts for a disproportionate number of deaths due to uterine cancer. Advances in the development of specific c-kit receptor-targeted drugs have promoted its potential therapeutic application as a target in tumor-related diseases. The aim of the present study was to evaluate imunohistochemical expression of c-kit in USC tissue in order to assess whether positive cases can be candidates for targeted therapy. C-kit expression assessment by immunohistochemistry was performed on deparaffinized sections of paraffin-embedded tissue blocks of confirmed consecutive available USC uterine specimens of patients diagnosed from 2000 to 2014. Sections of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) tissue known to contain c-kit served as positive controls. Immunohisto- chemical c-kit staining was not observed in any of 31 USC tissue samples examined. Intense staining was observed in the sections of GIST tissue. The present results may indicate that primary USC is not a candidate for c-kit targeted therapy.