The diagnostic and molecular characteristics of malignant mesothelioma and ovarian/peritoneal serous carcinoma

Our plain-English summary of The diagnostic and molecular characteristics of malignant mesothelioma and ovarian/peritoneal serous carcinoma, by B. Davidson (Cytopathology, 2011).

The study

• Author: B. Davidson
• Journal: Cytopathology
• Published: 2011;22(1):5-21
• Type of article: Review
• Cited by: 31 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

Malignant mesothelioma and ovarian/peritoneal serous carcinoma are two of the most common tumours affecting the serosal cavities. Unlike other malignant tumours diagnosed at this anatomical site, such as lung and breast carcinoma, malignant mesothelioma and serous carcinoma share a common histogenesis, may be difficult to differentiate morphologically, and co-express many of the diagnostic markers used by cytopathologists in effusion diagnosis. Selected markers have nevertheless shown sufficient sensitivity and specificity to differentiate serous carcinoma from malignant mesothelioma effectively. Recently, our group applied high throughput technology to the identification of new markers that may aid in differentiating these two cancer types and validated several of these markers in follow-up studies. This review will present current data regarding the diagnostic and biological aspects of malignant mesothelioma and ovarian/peritoneal serous carcinoma.

© 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

In plain English

This single-author review, from an Oslo pathology department, covered research on telling malignant mesothelioma apart from ovarian or primary peritoneal serous carcinoma, mainly in fluid (effusion) samples from the body cavities. It did not study asbestos exposure. Citing other literature, it stated that asbestos exposure can be documented in about 80% of mesothelioma cases. It summarized marker studies with at least 10 tumours of each type, several from the author's group. One of the group's gene-expression studies found 189 genes that differed between diffuse malignant peritoneal mesothelioma and serous carcinoma effusions. Later, claudin-3 was found in 187 of 218 (86%) ovarian or peritoneal serous carcinoma effusions and 1 of 25 (4%) mesothelioma effusions. Among 183 effusions, tenascin-X was found in 92% of 37 mesothelioma and 11% of 47 ovarian or peritoneal serous carcinoma effusions. In one study, the marker Ber-EP4 stained 13 of 36 (36%) mesotheliomas. The author's preferred routine panel was Ber-EP4, B72.3, BG8, calretinin and desmin. The author noted that most marker studies analysed adenocarcinomas of various origins, often with few ovarian or peritoneal carcinoma specimens.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Narrative review by a single author, including studies by the author's own group
• Who was studied: Published studies of diagnostic markers in malignant mesothelioma and ovarian or primary peritoneal serous carcinoma, mostly effusion specimens; the marker sections focused on studies with at least 10 tumours of each type
• Exposure: No exposure was studied. In background, citing other literature, the review stated that asbestos exposure can be documented in about 80% of malignant mesothelioma cases
• Main results:
  • In the author's group's gene-expression array study, 189 genes were differentially expressed between diffuse malignant peritoneal mesothelioma and ovarian or peritoneal serous carcinoma effusions
  • In the author's group's claudin study, claudin-3 was found in 187 of 218 (86%) ovarian or peritoneal carcinoma effusions and 1 of 25 (4%) mesothelioma effusions
  • In the author's group's tenascin-X study, 183 effusions were immunostained, including 47 ovarian or peritoneal carcinoma effusions and 37 mesothelioma effusions; tenascin-X protein was expressed in 92% of the mesothelioma effusions compared with 11% of the ovarian or peritoneal carcinoma effusions
  • In one of the author's group's studies of 47 ovarian or peritoneal carcinoma effusions and 36 mesothelioma effusions, Ber-EP4 was expressed in 13 (36%) mesotheliomas
  • In the author's group's recent study, calretinin was expressed in 35 of 36 (97%) mesothelioma effusions
• The authors' conclusion: The author's choice for a limited routine diagnostic panel was Ber-EP4, B72.3, BG8, calretinin and desmin
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The author noted that most marker studies analysed adenocarcinomas of various origins, often including only a few ovarian or peritoneal carcinoma specimens

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Mesothelioma, Ovarian cancer, Peritoneal mesothelioma.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Malignant Mesothelioma, Carcinoma.

Related studies

• PAX8 Expression in a Subset of Malignant Peritoneal Mesotheliomas and Benign Mesothelium has Diagnostic Implications in the Differential Diagnosis of Ovarian Serous Carcinoma — D.B. Chapel, A.N. Husain, et al. (2017)
• Cytokeratin 5/6 expression, prognosis, and association with estrogen receptor α in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma — E.T. Taube, C. Denkert, et al. (2017)
• PINCH-2 expression in cancers involving serosal effusions using quantitative PCR — Y. Yuan, H.P. Dong, et al. (2011)
• CD24 is highly useful in differentiating high-grade serous carcinoma from benign and malignant mesothelial cells — B. Davidson (2016)
• Value of mesothelial and epithelial antibodies in distinguishing diffuse peritoneal mesothelioma in females from serous papillary carcinoma of the ovary and peritoneum — R.L. Attanoos, R. Webb, et al. (2002)
• Rab25 is overexpressed in Müllerian serous carcinoma compared to malignant mesothelioma — K. Brusegard, H.T. Stavnes, et al. (2012)

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