Periocular sebaceous gland carcinoma: do androgen receptor ( NR 3 C 4) and nuclear survivin ( BIRC 5) have a prognostic significance?

Purpose The study aimed at evaluating the expression of androgen receptor ( AR ) and nuclear survivin ( NS ) in periocular sebaceous gland carcinoma ( SGC ) and to determine whether this expression is associated with histopathological features, markers of apoptosis and proliferation and with clinical outcomes. Methods This was a retrospective, comparative case series which included 56 patients with a biopsy‐proven periocular SGC . Immunohistochemical staining for AR , survivin, p53 and K i‐67 was analysed in all cases. Results All patients expressed AR , p53 and K i‐67 in the nucleus of tumour cells. Twenty‐four patients (42.8%) had a high AR score, and 32 patients (57.2%) had a low AR score. Twenty‐four (42.8%) patients expressed survivin in the nucleus of tumour cells. Nine (37.5%) had a high NS score, and 15 (62.5%) had a low NS score. Patients with a high AR score had a greater recurrence (p < 0.005), higher expression of K i‐67 (p < 0.0001) and a lower p53 expression (p < 0.005). Nuclear expression of survivin correlated with a high K i‐67 labelling index (0.0001) and low p53 expression (<0.005). Neither nuclear expression of survivin nor the NS score correlated with any clinicopathological features. Conclusion Expression of AR significantly impacts prognosis and is thus promising prognostic marker in periocular SGC .