Serous
papillary carcinomas (SPCs) share a similar morphology regardless of whether they originate from the ovary or the uterus. Identification of the site of origin of the
tumor can be a challenging and a diagnostic dilemma, particularly, in the setting of a pelvic mass or
peritoneal carcinomatosis. Recognition of the site of origin influences the staging, management, and prognosis of these
malignancies. The purpose of this study is to identify a panel of markers to distinguish the ovarian serous
papillary carcinomas (
OSPC) from the uterine serous
papillary carcinomas (USPC).
Formalin-fixed,
paraffin-embedded archival tissue from 46 cases of SPCs (33 uterine and 13 ovarian) were stained using
antibodies for
estrogen receptor (ER), WT1,
insulin-like growth factor-II mRNA-
binding protein 3 (IMP3), p53, and p16. The
OSPC expressed ER (92%), WT1 (100%), IMP3 (92%), p53 (92%), and p16 (92%). The USPCs expressed ER (30%), WT1 (64%), IMP3 (85%), p53 (64%), and p16 (76%). Only ER expression was significantly higher in
OSPC compared with USPCs (P<0.001). The combined ER(+)WT1(+) phenotype was present in 92% of the
OSPC, whereas only 18% of the USPCs had the same phenotype (P<0.001). Furthermore, 71% of the OSPCs expressed ER(+), p53(+), WT1(+), IMP3(+), and p16(+) immunophenotype, whereas in USPCs, the
tumor cells showed immunophenotypic diversity, with only 6% of the USPCs expressing reactivity to all the 5 markers (P<0.001). This study suggests that ER alone or in combination with a limited panel of markers may be used to identify the site of origin of SPCs.