Background: Fascin-1 (FSCN1) plays an important role in cancer development and is associated with invasion and metastasis. Therefore, we explored the expression and localization of FSCN1 in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).
Materials and methods: Expression analysis was performed by immunohistochemistry of paraffin-embedded tumor samples from 89 patients with EOC. Staining intensity and the percentage of positively stained tumor cells were used to calculate an immunoreactive score of 0-12 (IRS). These results were correlated to clinical and pathological characteristics as well as to patient survival.
Results: Negative (IRS=0), weak (IRS=0-2) and strong (IRS>2) expression of FSCN1 in EOC was found in 5 (5.6%), 30 (33.7%) and 54 (60.7%) tumor samples, respectively. There was a strong correlation of residual postoperative tumor of >1 cm with higher immunoexpression of FSCN1 (p=0.04). Lower FSCN1 expression was associated with significantly poorer overall survival (p=0.02).
Conclusion: FSCN1 is frequently expressed in primary EOC. Its prognostic impact and function remains inconclusive and should be further examined in larger trials.