131 advanced stage CX (FIGO III/IV) were re-evaluated histologically regarding PI, using a two-level scoring system. The tumor grows in solid cords/trabeculae in finger-like PI and in very small groups or single cells in spray-like PI. DSR was categorized as none/weak and moderate/strong. The tumors were stained with antibodies against c-met and HGF. The staining of >30%of tumor cells was defined as overexpression. The PI was correlated to the prognostic outcome, different categories of DSR and expression status of c-met and HGF.
66.4%of the tumors showed a finger-like, and 33.6%a spray-like PI. The spray-like PI showed a reduced two-year overall survival when compared to the finger-like PI (14.0%vs. 29.1%, respectively; p = 0.012), and was associated with moderate/strong DSR. The majority of the tumors showed overexpression of c-met (85.4%) and HGF (74.8%). There was no correlation between the expression status of c-met/HGF and the FIGO stage, peritumoral DSR or the prognostic outcome.
Spray-like PI is of prognostic impact in cervical carcinoma FIGO III/IV and is associated with strong peritumoral stromal remodeling. There is no prognostic impact of the immunohistochemical expression of c-met/HGF in advanced stage cervical carcinomas.