High cyclin A expression, but not Ki67, is associated with early recurrence in desmoid tumors

Background and Objectives Desmoid tumors are soft‐tissue tumors originating from myofibroblasts with a tendency to recur after surgery. High expression of proliferation markers is associated with shortened progression‐free and/or overall survival in many neoplasms, including soft‐tissue sarcomas. We investigated the prognostic role of cyclin A and Ki67 in desmoid tumors by immunohistochemistry. Methods The study included 76 patients with desmoid tumor operated at Helsinki University Hospital between 1987 and 2011. A tissue micro array (TMA) was constructed and the TMA sections were immunostained with cyclin A and Ki67 antibodies. A computer‐assisted image analysis was performed. Results Cyclin A expression was evaluable in 74 and Ki67 in 70 patients. Cyclin A immunopositivity varied from 0% to 9.9%, with a mean of 1.9%. Cyclin A expression correlated significantly with Ki67. Cyclin A expression was associated with recurrence‐free survival (HR 1.9, 95% CI = 1.1‐3.2, P = .02), as were positive margin (HR 6.0, 95% CI = 1.6‐22.5, P = .008) and extremity location (HR 5.3, 95% CI = 1.7‐16.8, P = 0.005). Ki67 immunopositivity varied from 0.33% to 13.8%, with a mean of 4.6%, but had no significant prognostic impact (HR 1.1, P = .2). Conclusions Our study indicates that cyclin A may be a new prognostic biomarker in surgically treated desmoid tumors.