Effect of tumour associated tissue eosinophilia on survival of women with stage IB carcinoma of the uterine cervix

AIMS--To examine the survival of a group of women with stage IB invasive carcinoma of the uterine cervix, divided according to the expression of tumour associated tissue eosinophilia (TATE). METHODS--Histological material from 81 women with stage IB squamous and adenosquamous cervical carcinomas before radiotherapy was assessed for the extent of tissue stromal eosinophilia, quantified using antibodies to human major basic protein. RESULTS--Twenty eight (38%) of the cases demonstrated TATE of over 30 eosinophils/mm2, with 12 (16%) having greater than 100 eosinophils/mm2. Eleven women in the series developed distant spread or recurrent pelvic disease, this group having a stromal eosinophil density significantly less (13.8/mm2) than the remainder (69.9/mm2) (p = 0.03). The actuarial five year survival rate for women with a tumour eosinophil density over 30/mm2 was 92% compared with 70% with a density under 30 mm2, with a significant difference in the survival curves for these two groups (p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS--As a univariate parameter, a tumour associated tissue eosinophilia of at least modest proportions is associated with statistically improved survival in women with stage IB cervical carcinomas.