Cervical Lesion Expression Using Estrogen Receptor (ER) and Ki67 Analysis

Abstract

Background: Cervical cancer is a cancer whose origin is from the cells of the cervix located in the lower part of the uterus which is connected to the vagina. It is the fourth most common cancer in women. Immunohistochemistry is a technique for detecting specific proteins using antibodies. Estrogen receptor (ER) and Ki 67 are tumor markers. The study is aimed at exploring the combined markers as more reliable diagnostic markers for cervical cancer.

Methodology: A hundred tissue biopsies (block) were selected so that there was sufficient diagnostic material remaining for immunohistochemistry. These specimens included 60 cervical cancer, 20 precancer and 20 normal samples. Five-micron sections were cut and put onto silane-coated slides (Sigma, St. Louis, MO, USA) and processed for immunohistochemistry.

Results: Findings reveal 51% tested positive for ER expression, while 40% showed positive Ki67 expression. ER and Ki67 expression levels did not differ significantly, according to statistical analysis (p > 0.05).  Existing research suggests that low ER expression is linked to higher-grade cervical lesions, while Ki67 is a marker for cell proliferation, which is often associated with more aggressive tumor behavior. Analyzing both ER and Ki67 together could improve diagnostic precision and provide a better understanding of cervical lesions' characteristics.

Conclusion: by combining ER and Ki 67 markers, the diagnostic accuracy for distinguishing between normal, precancerous, and cancerous cervical tissues may be improved.