Frontiers in Oncology (Aug 2016)

LH/hCG-receptor expression may have a negative prognostic value in low-risk endometrial cancer.

  • Ivo Noci,
  • Flavia Sorbi,
  • Luca Mannini,
  • Elisabetta Projetto,
  • Serena Pillozzi,
  • Viola Ghizzoni,
  • Tiziano Lottini,
  • Daniela Moncini,
  • Gianna Baroni,
  • Francesco Mungai,
  • Annarosa Arcangeli,
  • Massimiliano Fambrini

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2016.00190
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 6

Abstract

Read online

Introduction: A 51 years-old woman was diagnosed with endometrial cancer and underwent surgical staging. Pathologic evaluation showed a 2x1 cm G2 endometrioid endometrial cancer with a 30% myometrial deep invasion (FIGO stage 1A). The patient was classified as low-risk of recurrence and no adjuvant treatment was offered. Six months after surgery, the patient developed an early vescico-vaginal recurrence and chemotherapy treatment was started. Few months later a subsequent involvement of vaginal wall, ileum and omentum was detected and the patient underwent second surgery. Background: LH/hCG-receptor (LH/hCG-R) expression has been previously reported to be associated with an invasive phenotype in endometrial cancer cells. Moreover, in a preclinical mouse model of EC behaves as a pro metastatic molecular device. Discussion: We analysed the expression level of LH/hCG-R in cancer specimens collected during surgeries. Molecular and immunohistochemical analysis showed a strong expression of both mRNA and protein for LH/hCG-R in all specimens. Conclusion: LH/hCG-R expression may be assessed together with other clinicopathological parameters in order to better predict the risk of recurrence in low-risk endometrial cancer patients. Further clinical trials are warranted in order to validate LH/hCG-R as biomarker in endometrial cancer.

Keywords