Expression of the proto-oncogene bcl-2 in uterine cervical squamous cell carcinoma: its relationship to clinical outcome.

We studied bcl-2 expression in patients with uterine cervical squamous cell carcinoma and correlated this phenomenon with survival. Immunohistochemical analysis with a monoclonal antibody specific for bcl-2 was used to detect the protein in tumor samples from 259 patients undergoing surgery for squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Of the total, 67% (174) of the tumors were bcl-2 negative, and 33% (85) were positive. No significant difference in survival at five years was noted between patients with negative (78%) and positive (82%) tumors. However, when bcl-2 positive tumors were divided into partially stained (62 of 85, 73%), and diffusely stained (23 of 85, 27%) groups, the patients with partial staining had a better prognosis than those with diffused or negative (p < 0.01), staining (p < 0.05) (5 year survivals, respectively; 92%, 61%, and 78%). Though detection of bcl-2 positivity may itself not have clinical value for uterine cervical squamous cell carcinoma, the staining characters may add to predicting prognosis.