Histochemical study of angiogenesis in basaloid squamous carcinoma of the esophagus

Comparative analysis of basaloid and conventional squamous cell carcinomas of the esophagus: prognostic relevance of clinicopathological features and protein expression

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC), a variant of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), is a rare and aggressive epithelial malignancy which has been reported in only 0.1-11 % of primary esophageal carcinomas. In this study, a comparison of clinicopathological features and protein expression between esophageal BSCC (EBSCC) and conventional esophageal SCC (ESCC) cases from Brazil was performed in order to find factors that can be relevant to better characterize EBSCC. The expression of HER2, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Ki-67, and cyclins (A, B1, and D1) in 111 cases (95 ESCC and 16 EBSCC) was evaluated by immunohistochemistry using tissue microarray. When the clinicopathological data were compared, no significant difference was found between the two histological types. Although the difference is not significant (p = 0.055), the EGFR expression was more frequent in the conventional ESCC than in the EBSCC group. Our results indicate that the clinicopathological profiles of conventional ESCC and EBSCC are similar and provide no indicators for differences in prognosis between these two groups.

A case of long-term survival after pulmonary resection for metachronous pulmonary metastasis of basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus

INTRODUCTION

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus (BSCE) is a rare malignancy among esophageal cancers. We reported a case of 63-year-old woman with metachronous pulmonary metastasis of BSCE, successfully treated by metastasectomy of the left lung.

PRESENTATION OF CASE

Biopsy specimens of upper gastrointestinal fiberscopy led to diagnosis of poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. Computed tomography revealed metastatic lymph nodes surrounding the bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve and no evidence of metastasis to distant organs. Curative esophagectomy with three-field lymph node dissection was performed through thoracoscopic approach. Pathological examination of the resected specimens led to diagnosis of BSCE with invasion into the submucosal layer of the esophageal wall. Two years later, a solitary oval-shaped pulmonary lesion of approximately 10mm was detected in the left lung. Wedge resection of the left upper lobe was performed via thoracoscopic approach. The postoperative course was uneventful. Histologically, the pulmonary lesion was diagnosed as metastatic BSCE. Follow-up indicated no recurrence 9 years after the initial surgery.

DISCUSSION

Surgical intervention was acceptable on this case of solitary pulmonary metastasis. However, data are lacking about the efficacy of pulmonary resection for metachronous pulmonary metastasis of BSCE because the postoperative outcome is usually poor. The efficacy of surgical intervention for metastatic lesions of BSCE is debatable and requires further examination.

CONCLUSION

Although the usefulness of surgical intervention for metastatic lesions from BSCE is controversial, the patients with metachronous solitary metastasis to the lung and without extrapulmonary metastasis would be good candidate for pulmonary resection.

Whole tumour quantitative measurement of first-pass perfusion of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma using 64-row multidetector computed tomography: correlation with microvessel density

PURPOSE

To assess correlations between whole tumour first-pass perfusion parameters obtained with 64-row multidetector computed tomography (MDCT), and microvessel density (MVD) in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty-one consecutive patients with surgically confirmed oesophageal squamous cell carcinomas were enrolled into our study. All the patients underwent whole tumour first-pass perfusion scan with 64-row MDCT. Perfusion parameters, including perfusion (PF), peak enhanced density (PED), blood volume (BV), and time to peak (TTP) were measured using Philips perfusion software. Postoperative tumour specimens were assessed for MVD. Pearson correlation coefficient tests were performed to determine correlations between each perfusion parameter and MVD.

RESULTS

Mean values for PF, PED, BV and TTP of the whole tumour were 28.85 ± 20.29 ml/min/ml, 23.16 ± 8.09 HU, 12.13 ± 5.21 ml/100g, and 35.05 ± 13.85 s, respectively. Mean MVD in whole tumour at magnification (×200) was 15.75 ± 4.34 microvessel/tumour sample (vessels/0.723 mm(2)). PED and BV were correlated with MVD (r=0.651 and r=0.977, respectively, all p<0.05). However, PF and TTP were not correlated with MVD (r=0.070 and r=0.100, respectively, all p>0.05).

CONCLUSION

The BV value of first-pass perfusion CT could reflect MVD in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and can be an indicator for evaluating the tumour angiogenesis.

Relationship between urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor and vascular endothelial growth factor expression and metastasis of gallbladder cancer

AIM: To investigate the relationship of urokinase type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression with clinical and pathological characteristics of human gallbladder cancer.

METHODS: uPAR and VEGF expressions in 68 gallbladder cancer tissues were detected with anti-receptor immunohistochemical stain.

RESULTS: Expression rate of uPAR was 57.4% (39/68), and VEGF 51.5% (35/68) in gallbladder cancer tissues. Expression of both uPAR and VEGF was significantly related to metastasis, but not significantly correlated with differentiation stage and size of gallbladder cancer.

CONCLUSION: Expression of uPAR and VEGF may be an invasive phenotype of gallbladder cancer and indicator for predicting prognoses, and uPAR expression is significantly correlated with the expression of VEGF.

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