Bcl-2 Expression in Endometrial Hyperplasia and Carcinoma / 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: To speculate the role of bcl-2 protooncogene in endometrial carcinogenesis by determination of the expression of bcl-2 in endometrial hyperplasia and carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied bcl-2 expression by an immunohistochemical method in the paraffin-embedded blocks of 78 patients with endometrial hyperplasia, 64 with simple hyperpasia, 9 with complex hyperplasia and 5 with atypical hyperplasia respectively, and 33 endometrial carcinoma treated at Asan Medical Center from June, 1989 to May, 1997. Intensity of bcl-2 staining was scored on a scale of 0 to 4, calibrated by comparison with stromal lymphocytes, which always received a score of 4. RESULTS: The results of this study showed that bcl-2 was relatively highly expressed in simple (n= 64), complex (n=9) and atypical hyperplasias (n=5) with mean staining scores of 2.95+/-1.09 (Mean+Standard Deviation), 2.78+/-1.20 and 3.60+/-0.89 respectively, which showed no difference among histologic types. In endometrial carcinoma, the expression of bcl-2 was significantly down regulated (mean score=1.76+/-1.35) compared with that of hyperplasia, and did not conelate with FIGO surgical stage. However, grade III tumor showed significantly lower expression that grade I or II tumor. CONCLUSION: Bcl-2 expression is down regulated in endometrial carcinoma than endo- metrial hyperplasia, and correlates with tumor grade, which suggest that bcl-2 expression might be the result of carcinogenesis or bcl-2 plays only an adjunctive role in the endometrial carcinogenesis.

Clinical and Pathologic Characteristics of Uterine Sarcoma / 대한부인종양콜포스코피학회잡지

Uterine sarcomas are rare, characterized by rapid clinical progression and poor prognosis, and their management has been a challenge. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical and pathologic characteristics of patients with uterine sarcoma managed in the department of Obstetric and Gynecology, college of medicine, University of Ulsan, Asan Medical center, Seoul, Korea from June 1989 to August 1998. Data including clinical and histologic findings, treatment and outcome of nineteen patients were evaluated. The age of patients ranged 22 to 71 years (mean+/-S.D.; 46.9+/-13.1) and half of patients were postmenopausal and four patients were nulliparous. Palpable pelvic mass or abnormal uterine bleeding were the most common sign or symptom. Twelve patients (63.2%) had stage I disease and seven (36.8%) had stage III disease. There were 13 cases (68.4%) of leiomyosarcoma, 4 cases (21.1%) of endometrial stromal sarcoma, 2 cases (10.5%) malignant mixed mullerian tumor. All except one received hysterectomy (simple or radical) with or without bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Some received omentectomy or pelvic lymphadenectomy. Postoperative chemotherapy was administered in ten patients with regimen of VAC, VBP, VIC and etc. The mean follow-up duration was 29.3 (+/- 24.7) months and 5 patients died of the disease resulting 2-year survival of 68.1%. FIGO stage and mitotic count were considered to have prognostic significance, but without statistical confirmation. In conclusion, uterine sarcomas are aggressive tumors with a poor prognosis. Our data showed excellent outcome in early disease with surgery with or without adjuvant chemotherapy, whereas there was no long-term survivor in advanced disease despite postoperative chemotherapy.