Diagnostics (Jul 2024)

Perineural Invasion in Cervical Cancer: A Hidden Trail for Metastasis

  • Guoqiang Chen,
  • Hao Sun,
  • Yunxia Chen,
  • Li Wang,
  • Ouyi Song,
  • Jili Zhang,
  • Dazhi Li,
  • Xiaojun Liu,
  • Lixia Feng

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics14141517
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 14
p. 1517

Abstract

Read online

Perineural invasion (PNI), the neoplastic invasion of nerves, is an often overlooked pathological phenomenon in cervical cancer that is associated with poor clinical outcomes. The occurrence of PNI in cervical cancer patients has limited the promotion of Type C1 surgery. Preoperative prediction of the PNI can help identify suitable patients for Type C1 surgery. However, there is a lack of appropriate preoperative diagnostic methods for PNI, and its pathogenesis remains largely unknown. Here, we dissect the neural innervation of the cervix, analyze the molecular mechanisms underlying the occurrence of PNI, and explore suitable preoperative diagnostic methods for PNI to advance the identification and treatment of this ominous cancer phenotype.

Keywords