RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the diversity within invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and prostatic adenocarcinoma (PCa) by evaluating immunohistochemical expression of heat shock protein 47 (HSP47) and fascin, the molecules that are related to desmoplasia and invasion, and analyze its correlation with clinicopathologic parameters. STUDY DESIGN: HSP47 and fascin immunoreactivity (IR) was evaluated in 49 mastectomies diagnosed as IDC and 57 radical prostatectomies diagnosed as PCa. IR was evaluated as: 0: < 5%, 1+: 5-25%, 2+: 25-50%, 3+: > 50%. RESULTS: HSP47 and fascin were localized to cytoplasm, and HSP47 and fascin IR were higher in IDC and PCa than benign groups (p < 0.05). HSP47 IR in neoplastic cells was 42.1% and 28.6%, in stroma was 81.6% and 15.8% in IDC and PCa, respectively; fascin IR in neoplastic cells was 65.3% in IDC and 15.8% in PCa. Fascin expression correlated with estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor negativity, tumor size and stage in IDC and surgical margin status in PCa. HSP47 expression correlated bilaterality in PCa. HSP47 positively correlated with survival in IDC. CONCLUSION: HSP47 and fascin expression may play role in the pathogenesis of IDC and PCa because their expression is significantly higher in IDC and PCa than their normal counterpart. Although there is no relationship with recurrence or metastatic status, fascin overexpression correlated with tumor size, which may prompt its use as a prognostic factor in IDC.