Immunohistochemical Expression of BCL-2 in Endometrial Carcinoma and Its Comparison With Hormone Receptor Status and Epidermal Growth Factor.

Background: Endometrial carcinoma is the most common malignant tumor of the female genital tract with increasing incidence in developed countries. In the era of targeted therapy, immunohistochemical markers play an important role in the treatment and prognosis of endometrial carcinoma. The aim of the study was to study the immunohistochemical expression of B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) in endometrial carcinoma and to study the correlation of BCL-2 expression with hormone receptor status and transforming growth factor receptors in endometrial carcinoma.

Methods: Endometrial carcinoma reported between the period from January 2010 to December 2014 in the department of pathology of this institute was considered in the study. The study included cases of endometrial carcinoma reported on both curetting and hysterectomy specimens. In the samples where both curetting and hysterectomy were received only hysterectomy blocks were included and the curetting was excluded.

Results: The total number of malignancies reported during this period was 3478. Of these 3478 malignancies, 59 were endometrial carcinomas with an incidence of 1.6%. Out of 59 endometrial carcinomas, 46 cases were diagnosed on hysterectomy specimens and 13 cases were diagnosed on endometrial curetting biopsies.

Conclusion: The positive expressions of estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) in endometrial carcinoma suggest that steroid receptor studies may be of potential benefit in the management of some patients with endometrial carcinoma.