Gut-endocrinomas (carcinoids and related endocrine variants) of the uterine cervix: An analysis of 205 reported cases

This study was carried out statistically to evaluate the present situation of carcinoids and related endocrine variants in the uterine cervix. A total of 205 patients who had been reported on in world-wide literature w ere divided into two groups; one, as a carcinoid group, consisting of 81 pa tients with carcinoids, 49 typical and 32 atypical, and the others, as an e ndocrine carcinoma (ECC) group, including 124 patients with other remaining endocrine carcinomas variously expressed up to date. A statistical comparison in multiple factors was attempted between these tw o groups. A statistically significant difference between them was demonstra ted in immunochemistry for chromogranin (p<0.05), serotonin (p<0.01), and C EA (p<0.01), but not regarding average age, clinical manifestations, tumor- size categorization, rates of metastases, sites of metastases, argyrophilia or argentaffinity, and postoperative five-year survival rates, though the latter disclosed a statistically significant difference (p<0.05) only betwe en the two groups of typical and atypical carcinoids. The results of analysis in the present study disclosing no statistically si gnificant differences in various aspects between the two groups of carcinoi ds and the remaining endocrine carcinomas strongly suggest that the conside rable extent of confusion produced by various different types of terminolog y for carcinoids and related endocrine variants should be solved by extensi ve evaluation and discussion on an international scale, and that diagnostic criteria and simplified classification acceptable for these neoplasms are to be established not only for those of the uterine cervix but also for tho se of all other organs including the digestive system based on a universall y acceptable concept for these neoplasms originating in non-endocrine organ s.