Tumor-stroma ratio as a new prognosticator for pseudomyxoma peritonei: a comprehensive clinicopathological and immunohistochemical study

• Published in: Diagnostic pathology 2021-12, Vol.16 (1), p.116-116, Article 116
• Main Authors: Ma, Ru, Lin, Yu-Lin, Li, Xin-Bao, Yan, Feng-Cai, Xu, Hong-Bin, Peng, Zheng, Li, Yan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Analysis; Antigens; Ascites; Biomarkers; Biomarkers, Tumor - analysis; Body mass index; Cancer; Cancer therapies; Carbohydrates; Carcinoembryonic antigen; CEA (Oncology); Chemotherapy; Cloning; Cytoreduction Surgical Procedures; Decision analysis; Female; Health aspects; Histopathology; Humans; Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy; Immunohistochemistry; Lymph nodes; Lymphatic system; Male; Medical prognosis; Metastases; Metastasis; Middle Aged; Multivariate analysis; Pathology; Patients; Predictive Value of Tests; Prognosis; Proteins; Pseudomyxoma peritonei; Pseudomyxoma Peritonei - metabolism; Pseudomyxoma Peritonei - pathology; Pseudomyxoma Peritonei - therapy; Quantitative analysis; Software; Stroma; Stromal Cells - drug effects; Stromal Cells - metabolism; Stromal Cells - pathology; Survival analysis; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Tumor-stroma ratio; Tumors
• ISSN: 1746-1596; 1746-1596
• DOI: 10.1186/s13000-021-01177-1

As a rare clinical tumor syndrome with an indolent clinical course and lack of pathognomonic symptoms, pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage. In-depth pathological analysis is essential to assess tumor biological behaviors, assist treatment decision, and predict the clinical prognosis of PMP. The tumor-stroma ratio (TSR) is a promising prognostic parameter based on the tumor and stroma. This study explored the relationship between TSR and the pathological characteristics and prognosis of PMP. PMP patients with complete data who underwent cytoreductive surgery plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy were enrolled. The TSR of postoperative pathological images was quantitatively analyzed by Image-Pro Plus. Then the relationship between TSR and the clinicopathological characteristics, immunohistochemical characteristics and prognosis of PMP was analyzed. Among the 50 PMP patients included, there were 27 males (54.0%) and 23 females (46.0%), with a median age of 55 (range: 31-76) years. 25 (50.0%) patients were diagnosed with low-grade PMP (LG-PMP), and 25 (50.0%) were diagnosed with high-grade PMP (HG-PMP). There were 4 (8.0%) patients with vascular tumor emboli, 3 (6.0%) patients with nerve invasion, and 5 (10.0%) patients with lymph node metastasis. The immunohistochemical results showed that the Ki67 label index was < 25% in 18 cases (36.0%), 25 - 50% in 18 cases (36.0%) and > 50% in 14 cases (28.0%). The range of TSR was 2 - 24% (median: 8%). The cutoff value of TSR was 10% based on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and X-Tile analysis. There were 31 (62.0%) cases with TSR < 10% and 19 (38.0%) cases with TSR ≥ 10%. The TSR was closely related to histopathological type (P < 0.001) and Ki67 label index (P < 0.001). Univariate analysis showed that preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), preoperative carbohydrate antigen 19-9, pathological type, vascular tumor emboli and TSR influenced the prognosis of PMP patients (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that preoperative CEA, vascular tumor emboli and the TSR were independent prognostic factors. The TSR could be a new independent prognosticator for PMP.