Context: Evidence suggests that human GH (hGH) and human prolactin (hPRL) possess an autocrine or paracrine oncogenic role in mammary and endometrial carcinoma. However, especially for hGH, the prognostic relevance of tumor expression of these hormones is not well defined.
Objective: We investigated the potential association of tumor mRNA and protein expression of hGH and hPRL with the clinicopathological features of mammary and endometrial carcinoma. The prognostic relevance of the individual or combined expression of hGH and hPRL in mammary and endometrial carcinoma was also determined.
Design: The expression of hGH and hPRL was analyzed in histopathological samples of mammary and endometrial carcinoma, and the respective normal tissues, by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analysis was performed to examine the association of tumor hGH and hPRL expression with relapse-free survival and overall survival of patients.
Results: hGH expression was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis, tumor stage, human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 status, and proliferative index in mammary carcinoma and with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics grade, myometrial invasion, and ovarian metastases in endometrial carcinoma. hPRL expression was associated with lymph node metastasis, tumor grade, and tumor stage in mammary carcinoma and with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage and myometrial invasion in endometrial carcinoma. Both hGH and hPRL expression, individually and combined, are associated with worse relapse-free survival and overall survival in patients with mammary or endometrial carcinoma.
Conclusion: Tumor expression of both hGH or hPRL in mammary or endometrial carcinoma is associated with a large and significant difference in survival outcome for patients with these tumors.