Immunohistochemical localization of carcinoembryonic antigen in adenocarcinoma of the endocervix and the endometrium.

Immunoperoxidase localization of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was performed on tissue sections of adenocarcinoma of endocervical and endometrial origin to clarify the criteria for their differentiation. Twenty-two (96%) of 23 endocervical and 32 (70%) of 46 endometrial adenocarcinomas revealed positive CEA immunostain. The extent of staining did not seem to correlate with the degree of differentiation in either kind of cancer. Among the positive cases, CEA staining was located over whole cytoplasm in 18 (80%) of 22 positive endocervical adenocarcinomas and on apical surface in 24 (75%) of 32 positive endometrial adenocarcinomas. The pattern of CEA distribution in endocervical adenocarcinoma of endometrioid type was not similar to that observed for primary endometrial adenocarcinoma.