Do mucin-secreting squamous cell carcinomas of the uterine cervix metastasize more frequently to pelvic lymph nodes? A case-control study?

Twenty-nine patients with stage IB/IIA squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix who had positive pelvic nodes were matched with 29 cases of node-negative squamous cell carcinoma by depth of invasion and lymphovascular space invasion. By multivariate analysis, these criteria independently predicted pelvic node metastases. Intracellular mucin, demonstrated by alcian-blue staining at pH 2.5, was noted in 21 of the 58 patients (36%). The frequency of mucin-positive tumors was not significantly different between the patients and their controls (38 versus 34%, p = 0.78), nor was the degree of positivity. These results suggest that, although a substantial proportion of squamous cell carcinomas exhibit mucin secretion, patients with these tumors are not at increased risk for pelvic node metastases. We therefore do not recommend routine mucin staining in cervical squamous cell carcinomas.