A case of cervical cancer with aggressive tumor growth: Possible autocrinegrowth stimulation by G-CSF and IL-6

Background. Patients with tumors that produce hematopoietic growth factors, such as G-CSF, sometimes exhibit leukemoid reactions. Squamous cell carcin omas of the uterine cervix producing such factors are rarely reported. Case. A 56-year-old woman had severe leukocytosis (>50 x 10(3)/mu l) and fe ver without evidence of infection after radical hysterectomy for treatment of her cervical cancer. The parametrial recurrent mass appeared after the o peration and exhibited extremely aggressive growth. Serum levels of C-CSF a nd IL-6 were extremely high, and immunohistochemical analysis and RT-PCR as says revealed that C-CSF and IL-6 as well as their receptors were produced in tumor cells. Conclusions. This is a case of cervical cancer which exhibited an aggressiv e clinical course, possibly due to autocrine stimulation of cell growth by G-CSF and IL-6. (C) 2000 Academic Press.