Clinicopathological Features and Immunohistochemical Comparison of Primary Peritoneal and Primary Ovarian Serous Papillary Carcinoma

  Objective  To explore the clinicopathological features of primary peritoneal and primary ovarian serous papillary carcinoma in Chinese patients.

  Methods  The clinical specimens were obtained from 10 patients who were confirmed to be with primary peritoneal serous papillary carcinoma (PPSPC) and from 20 otherwise-matched patients with ovarian serous papillary cancer (OSPC). The clinicopathological features of these PPSPC and OSPC cases were observed. The levels of estrogen receptors (ER), progesterone receptors (PR), human epidermalgrowth factor receptor 2 (HER2)/neu and P53 protein were detected using immuno-histochemical techniques. The status of HER2 gene was evaluated by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using PathVysionTM kit.

  Results  The mean onset age was 8.3 years older among PPSPC patients than in OSPC patients (P=0.045). The proportion of poorly differentiated serous cancer was 60% among the PPSPC patients and 20% among the OSPC patients (P=0.045). Positive immunostaining for ER and PR was significantly less in PPSPC (60% and 10%, respectively) than OSPC (95% and 50%; P=0.031 and P=0.032, respectively). Positive expression of P53 was found in 40% of the PPSPC patients and 85% of the OSPC patients (P=0.045). HER2/neu was faint/barely perceptible membrane staining (1 +) in 10% of the PPSPC patients versus 15% of the OSPC patients. In addition, HER2 amplification was not found in either group.

  Conclusions  PPSPC and OSPC share some clinicohistological features; however, compared with OSPC, PPSPC is more common in older women, with relatively poorer differentiation, stronger potential of invasion, lower ER/PR expression, lower P53 protein expression, and poorer outcomes.