CD44 expression in curettage and postoperative specimens of endometrial cancer

BACKGROUND: Adhesive molecules like CD44 are well defined key players in the metastatic cascade in many cancers, including endometrial cancer. They could play a role of markers of invasion, metastasis and prognostic factors. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of the study is to assess a possible role of the CD44 as a marker of invasion in endometrial cancer, both at the moment of preoperative workup and final staging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Available for analysis were archival specimens of 51 patients who had underwent curettage and surgery between 2002 and 2007. An immunohistochemical study for CD44 expression was performed in curettage and postoperative specimens. Normal endometrium of 20 randomly chosen patients was used as a control group. RESULTS: In endometrial cancer the expression of CD44 was significantly more intensive than in normal endometrium. In postoperative specimens, the CD44 expression was weaker in serous than in endometrioid cancer. There was no significant correlation between the adhesion molecule expression and clinicopathological features: grade,depth of invasion, cervical involvement, serosal and adnexal involvement, lymph-vascular space involvement, lymph node and distant metastases nor FIGO stage. CONCLUSIONS: An increased expression of CD44 in endometrial cancer suggests its possible role in pathogenesis of this disease, however, it doesn’t seem to be crucial. Different expression of the CD44 in endometrioid and papillary-serous type may reflect different pathogenesis of these types of cancer. No statistically proved relation between the investigated molecule expression and clinicopathological parameters suggests scepticism about its use in diagnostic process of endometrial cancer.