Pulmonary well-differentiated fetal adenocarcinoma with platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR)α expression

Abstract

Well-differentiated fetal adenocarcinoma (WDFA) is a rare pulmonary malignancy. Biomarkers of tumor biology has rarely been studied in WDFA. Here, we report two WDFA patients. Both patients had blood-streaked sputum or mild hemoptysis at presentation. They underwent lobectomy and systematic mediastinal lymphadenectomy. Expression of PDGFRα on the plasma membrane was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in the resected tumor specimens. Further IHC examination showed intense immunostaining of β-catenin in both patients but negative staining for TP53, CEA, CD56, EGFR, CK5/6, HER2, S-100, ER, PR, BCL2, and NSE. Both patients had no recurrence to date after more than 3 years of follow up. Herein, we reviewed this rare disease with special emphasis on the clinico-pathological features, treatment and potential role of PDGFRα.

Keywords: :

• PDGFRα
• WDFA
• lung cancer
• surgery
• well-differentiated fetal adenocarcinoma
• β-catenin

Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest

No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.

Acknowledgments

No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed. The work was supported by grants from China National Natural Sciences Foundation (NO.30801136 to C. Cheng) and (No.81171125 to C. Cheng) and the Research and Development Program of Sun Yat-sen University (10YKPY09 to C. Cheng).

Supplemental Materials

Supplemental materials may be found here:

http://www.landesbioscience.com/journals/cbt/article/22253/