The frequency and significance of WT-1 expression in serous endometrial carcinoma

Data Set for the Reporting of Endometrial Cancer: Recommendations From the International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting (ICCR)

Endometrial cancer is one of the most common cancers among women. The International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting (ICCR) developed a standardized endometrial cancer data set in 2011, which provided detailed recommendations for the reporting of resection specimens of these neoplasms. A new data set has been developed, which incorporates the updated 2020 World Health Organization Classification of Female Genital Tumors, the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) molecular classification of endometrial cancers, and other major advances in endometrial cancer reporting, all of which necessitated a major revision of the data set. This updated data set has been produced by a panel of expert pathologists and an expert clinician and has been subject to international open consultation. The data set includes core elements which are unanimously agreed upon as essential for cancer diagnosis, clinical management, staging, or prognosis and noncore elements which are clinically important, but not essential. Explanatory notes are provided for each element. Adoption of this updated data set will result in improvements in endometrial cancer patient care.

Evaluation of the incidence and clinical significance of WT-1 expression in uterine serous carcinoma

Background

Wilms tumor gene 1 (WT1) expression is a hallmark of ovarian serous carcinoma and considered to be diagnostic marker of these tumors, differentiating them from uterine serous carcinoma (USC), historically thought to rarely express WT1. However, more recent data indicates a significant percentage of USC may express WT1. The clinical implications of WT1 positivity in USC remain unclear.

Methods

A multicenter retrospective analysis of patients with USC was conducted from 2000 to 2019. Inclusion criteria were patients who had undergone comprehensive surgical staging/tumor debulking with archival tissue available for WT1 assessment via immunohistochemistry (IHC). Chemosensitive patients were defined as those recurring >6 months from last platinum-based chemotherapy. Progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier estimates. Multivariate analysis (MVA) was performed using Cox proportional hazards model.

Results

WT1 status was evaluated in 61 patients with USC. 13 (21.3%) were positive for WT1 by IHC. Stage distribution included 32% stage I, 5% stage II, 25% stage III and 38% stage IV. There was no difference in the stage (p = 0.158), race (p = 0.227) or distribution of recurrence sites (p = 0.581) between WT1 positive and WT1 negative tumors. The majority of patients were chemosensitive (63%). Chemosensitivity was significantly improved in WT1 positive (92.3%) vs. WT1 negative tumors (55.8%) (p = 0.016). We observed a trend towards improved PFS among WT1 positive tumors (21 vs. 16-months, respectively) (p = 0.544). On MVA, stage (p < 0.001) and chemosensitivity (p < 0.001) were independent predictors of PFS.

Conclusions

WT1 positivity is observed in over 20% of USC. WT1 expression is associated with improved chemosensitivity which may contribute to improvements in PFS.

A case of synchronous serous ovarian cancer and uterine serous endometrial intraepithelial carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Serous endometrial intraepithelial carcinoma (SEIC) is now considered to represent an early stage of uterine serous carcinoma (USC). It is an intraepithelial lesion but has been reported to cause extrauterine metastases. We report a case of SEIC with serous ovarian carcinoma and lymph node metastasis.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 57-year-old post-menopausal woman (gravida 3, para 2, SA1) was referred to our hospital with lower abdominal pain. An ultrasound and MRI showed that the ovary had swollen to 8 cm in size and had a solid lesion. The uterus was normal. The patient underwent exploratory laparoscopy on the suspicion of torsion of the ovarian tumor. Intraoperative findings showed a right ovarian tumor, but no ovarian tumor torsion was observed. A small amount of bloody ascites was found in the Douglas fossa, and bleeding was observed from the tumor itself. A right salpingo-oophorectomy was then performed. Histopathological results revealed a high-grade serous carcinoma. Forty days after the first surgery, we performed a staging laparotomy: a total abdominal hysterectomy, left salpingo-oophorectomy, systematic pelvic and paraaortic lymphadenectomy, and a partial omentectomy. A complete cytoreduction was achieved. In the pathological examination, the invasion of the serous carcinoma was observed in the left ovarian ligament, and lymph node metastasis was found in the paraaortic lymph nodes. Atypical columnar cells formed irregular papillary lesions which had proliferated in the endometrium, and this was diagnosed as SEIC. The final diagnosis was serous ovarian cancer, FIGO stage IIIA1(ii), pT2bN1M0, with SEIC.

CONCLUSION

We report a case of SEIC with synchronous serous carcinoma of the adnexa uteri. Both were serous carcinomas and, thus, it was difficult to identify the primary lesion. The distinction between metastatic cancer and two independent primary tumors is important for an accurate diagnosis and tumor staging. Histological diagnostic criteria remain controversial, and further development of a method for differentiating between both diseases is required.

Diagnostic and Prognostic Role of WT1 Immunohistochemical Expression in Uterine Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis across All Endometrial Carcinoma Histotypes

Background: The diagnostic role of Wilms’ tumor 1 (WT1) is well known in gynaeco-pathological setting, since it is considered a specific marker of serous histotype and adnexal origin. Moreover, its oncogenic role has been recently highlighted in many cancers and it has also been regarded as a promising target antigen for cancer immunotherapy. However, the relationship between its expression and prognostic role in uterine cancer remains unclear. We analyzed the diagnostic and prognostic role of WT1 expression in patients with uterine carcinoma by completing a search using PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines and the PICOS (Participants, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes, Study Design) model through PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases to identify studies that fit our search criteria. The objective of the current meta-analysis was to investigate the diagnostic and prognostic role of WT1 expression in patients with uterine carcinoma. Materials and Methods: A literature search was performed of the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases for English-language studies published from January 2000 to April 2020. Studies were considered eligible if they evaluated the WT1 expression in uterine carcinoma. Results: In total, 35 articles were identified that used uterine carcinoma criteria and provided data for 1616 patients. The overall rate of WT1 expression in uterine carcinoma was 25%. The subgroup analysis of uterine cancer types revealed that WT1 was expressed differently among different histotypes (endometrioid, clear cell, serous carcinoma and carcinosarcoma). Discussion and Conclusions: The WT1 immunohistochemical expression is not limited to serous histotype and/or ovarian origin. In fact, a significant proportion of endometrial adenocarcinomas can also show WT1 immunoreactivity. Moreover, our study suggests that WT1 may be a potential marker to predict the prognosis of patients with uterine cancer, but more studies are needed to confirm its role in clinical practice.

Fallopian tube abnormalities in uterine serous carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

Uterine serous carcinoma (USC) is presumed to arise from endometrial intra-epithelial carcinoma (EIC), whereas tubo-ovarian high-grade serous carcinomas have similar precursor lesions in the Fallopian tube, i.e. serous tubal intra-epithelial carcinoma (STIC). The presence of Fallopian tube abnormalities and their clonal relationship to the concurrent USC was investigated.

METHODS

In this multicenter study, all patients treated for USC between 1992 and 2017 were retrospectively identified. Histopathological diagnosis of USC, EIC and STIC was revised by an expert pathologist. Additionally, all Fallopian tube sections were immunohistochemically stained (p53 and Ki-67). Fallopian tube abnormalities were classified as either p53 signature, serous tubal intra-epithelial lesion (STIL) or STIC. The USCs and Fallopian tube abnormalities were analyzed by targeted next-generation sequencing.

RESULTS

In 168 included patients, Fallopian tube abnormalities were found in 27.4% (46/168): p53-signatures in 17.9% (30/168), STILs in 3.0% (5/168) and STICs in 6.5% (11/168). In subgroup analysis, STICs were found in 9.5% (11/115) of patients with at least one section of the fimbriated end embedded. Next-generation sequencing showed identical TP53-mutations in the STIC and corresponding USC.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, the presence of Fallopian tube abnormalities was shown in a high percentage of patients with USC, representing either true precursor lesions or metastasized disease.

A detailed morphological and immunohistochemical comparison of primary endometrial and tubo-ovarian high-grade serous carcinomas and their corresponding omental metastases

Increasingly, high-grade serous carcinomas (HGSCs) of fallopian tube/ovarian origin are managed initially with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and pre-treatment diagnosis is often based upon relatively limited core biopsy and/or cytology specimens. Endometrial HGSC can also present with adnexal and peritoneal metastasis, thus mimicking a primary tubo-ovarian neoplasm, but the role of NACT in these cases is less established. Immunohistochemistry has been considered useful in this distinction but with a wide range of reported findings in the literature. In this study we have examined tumour growth patterns and the expression p16, Ki-67, WT1, PAX2, HER2, ER-α, ER-β, PR, and BAF250a in 18 tubo-ovarian and 14 endometrial HGSCs, comparing the findings in primary and omental sites. Metastatic tubo-ovarian carcinomas demonstrated significantly more varied architectural patterns than metastatic endometrial HGSCs (median 2.5 versus 1). None of the immunohistochemical markers proved completely reliable but only endometrial HGSC were WT1 negative (7/14 metastatic tumours) or demonstrated over-expression of HER2 (2/14 cases). Micropapillary tumour elements more often showed retained PAX2 and WT1 expression, low Ki-67 labelling, and (in endometrial tumours) PR staining. Diverse architectural patterns suggest tubo-ovarian origin in a metastatic HGSC. Immunohistochemical results should be cautiously interpreted, particularly in small specimens.

Germline BRCA-Associated Endometrial Carcinoma Is a Distinct Clinicopathologic Entity

PURPOSE

Whether endometrial carcinoma (EC) should be considered part of the gBRCA1/2-associated hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) syndrome is topic of debate. We sought to assess whether ECs occurring in gBRCA carriers are enriched for clinicopathologic and molecular characteristics, thereby supporting a causal relationship.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

Thirty-eight gBRCA carriers that developed EC were selected from the nationwide cohort study on hereditary breast and ovarian cancer in the Netherlands (HEBON), and these were supplemented with four institutional cases. Tumor tissue was retrieved via PALGA (Dutch Pathology Registry). Nineteen morphologic features were scored and histotype was determined by three expert gynecologic pathologists, blinded for molecular analyses (UCM-OncoPlus Assay including 1213 genes). ECs with LOH of the gBRCA-wild-type allele (gBRCA/LOHpos) were defined "gBRCA-associated," those without LOH (gBRCA/LOHneg) were defined "sporadic."

RESULTS

LOH could be assessed for 40 ECs (30 gBRCA1, 10 gBRCA2), of which 60% were gBRCA/LOHpos. gBRCA/LOHpos ECs were more frequently of nonendometrioid (58%, P = 0.001) and grade 3 histology (79%, P < 0.001). All but two were in the TP53-mutated TCGA-subgroup (91.7%, P < 0.001). In contrast, gBRCA/LOHneg ECs were mainly grade 1 endometrioid EC (94%) and showed a more heterogeneous distribution of TCGA-molecular subgroups: POLE-mutated (6.3%), MSI-high (25%), NSMP (62.5%), and TP53-mutated (6.3%).

CONCLUSIONS

We provide novel evidence in favor of EC being part of the gBRCA-associated HBOC-syndrome. gBRCA-associated ECs are enriched for EC subtypes associated with unfavorable clinical outcome. These findings have profound therapeutic consequences as these patients may benefit from treatment strategies such as PARP inhibitors. In addition, it should influence counseling and surveillance of gBRCA carriers.

Distinct Histologic, Immunohistochemical and Clinical Features Associated With Serous Endometrial Intraepithelial Carcinoma Involving Polyps

The origin of serous endometrial intraepithelial carcinoma (SEIC) is debated, due to its premalignant and independently malignant nature. It often arises next to endometrial serous carcinoma (ESC), with a propensity for polypoid growth. We aimed to better characterize this discrepancy by analyzing the clinical, histologic, and immunohistochemical features of polypoid carcinoma associated with SEIC (P-SEIC), and compared them with usual endometrial serous carcinoma without SEIC (UESC). Consecutive patients with P-SEIC were recruited and compared with UESC controls from our institutional research center. Clinical, histologic, and immunohistochemical (IHC, ER, PR, P53, Napsin-A, WT1, P16) were analyzed. BRCA testing results and familial history were also extracted from clinical databases. Welch T test, Pearson χ, and Fisher exact test were performed in SPSS version 23. A total of 37 P-SEIC and 25 UESC were the basis of a case-control study. P-SEIC was associated with more bilateral ovarian involvement (P=0.026), yet showed lower rates of myometrial invasion (P=0.002). P-SEIC showed a statistically different IHC profile: p53+, p16+, ER+, PR+, and WT-1+, and high rates of Napsin-A, while UESC was p53+, p16+, WT-1-, Napsin-A-, with lower rates of ER and PR. We also identified 2 patients who received prophylactic salpingo-oophorectomy for BRCA mutations and who subsequently developed P-SEIC with its unique IHC pattern. Our results suggest different underlying expression profiles and possibly diverging molecular signatures between both P-SEIC and UESC. If confirmed in further molecular studies, it could lead to a distinct molecular subclass.

Guidelines to Aid in the Distinction of Endometrial and Endocervical Carcinomas, and the Distinction of Independent Primary Carcinomas of the Endometrium and Adnexa From Metastatic Spread Between These and Other Sites

In most cases of suspected endometrial neoplasia tumor origin can be correctly assigned according to a combination of clinical, radiologic, and pathologic features, even when the latter are based upon the examination of relatively small biopsy samples. However there are well-recognized exceptions to this rule which continue to create diagnostic difficulty, and sometimes difficulties persist even after the detailed examination of resection specimens. Among the most common problems encountered in practice are the distinction of primary endometrial and primary endocervical adenocarcinomas, and the determination of tumor origin when there is synchronous, multifocal involvement of gynecologic tract sites, for example the endometrium and the ovary. However, accurate diagnosis in these cases is important because this has significant staging, management and prognostic implications. In this review we discuss the value and limitations of key morphologic, immunophenotypic and molecular findings in these diagnostic scenarios.

Wilms' tumor 1 (WT1) as a prognosis factor in gynecological cancers: A meta-analysis

The oncogenic role of Wilms' tumor 1 (WT1) which is regarded as a promising target antigen for cancer immunotherapy has been demonstrated in many types of cancer, but the relationship between expression of WT1 and the prognosis value in gynecological cancer reminds unclear.We performed a meta-analysis with thirteen published studies including 2205 patients searched from PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, whose results are expressed by overall survival (OS) or disease-specific survival (DSS) or disease-free survival or relapse/recurrence-free survival (RFS) or progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with gynecological cancer. The hazard ratio (HR) with its 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to investigate prognostic of WT1 expression in patients with gynecological cancer.Finally, the overexpression of WT1 was borderlinely associated with poor OS (metaHR = 1.51, 95% CI = 0.98-2.31) in univariate model. We found a significant association with poor DSS (metaHR = 1.61, 95% CI = 1.24-2.08) and DFS/RFS/PFS (metaHR = 2.06, 95% CI = 1.22-3.46). The subgroup analyses revealed that the expression of WT1 predicted the poor DSS (metaHR = 1.82, 95% CI = 1.42-2.73), and DFS/RFS/PFS (metaHR = 2.51, 95% CI = 1.81-3.48) in patients with ovarian cancer. In summary, WT1 overexpression indicates a poor prognosis in patients with some gynecological tumors, but more studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Expression of tumor suppressor genes related to the cell cycle in endometrial cancer patients

PURPOSE

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecological malignancy in developed countries. The role of tumor suppressor genes (TSG) in endometrioid endometrial adenocarcinoma (EEC) has an important impact on patient survival prognosis. Thus, it is important to identify TSG transcripts that differentiate endometrial adenocarcinoma into various pathomorphological grades. The aim of this study was to analyze the expression profile of tumor suppressor genes related to the cell cycle in patients with endometrial adenocarcinoma across histological differentiation and to identify transcripts which differentiate endometrium into various pathomorphological grades.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Gene expression analysis was completed for 19 endometrial endometrioid adenocarcinomas and 5 normal specimens (obtained from women with diagnosed uterine fibroids, benign ovarian tumors and a prolapsed uterus with histopathologically confirmed endometrium in the proliferative phase) using Affymetrix HG-U133A oligonucleotide microarrays. The statistical analysis was performed using the GeneSpring13.0 software and PANTHER classification system.

RESULTS

Significant changes in gene expression were observed across histological differentiation. The WT-1, CYR 61, TSPYL5 genes were statistically and biologically significant in all cancer grades, and were considered to be primary for the G1 grade in endometrial cancer. The G2 cancer specific genes were BCL2L2 and HNRNPA0, whereas in G3 there was only BAK.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the WT-1, CYR61 and TSPYL5 gene expressions are potentially correlated with patient survival in all endometrial cancer grades. The TSGs identified are considered to be important in EEC pathogenesis and further research is needed to confirm this.