Objective: Fascin is an actin-binding protein that regulates the rearrangement of cytoskeletal elements. It takes part in the formation of cellular membrane protrusions and in cell motility. It is upregulated in several types of carcinomas.

Material and Method: We examined the expression of fascin in the invasive ductal carcinomas whether lymph node negative (n=16) or lymph node positive (n=16) and in metastatic lymph nodes, microinvasion + invasive ductal carcinoma with extensive in situ component (n=9) by the immunohistochemical method using monoclonal antifascin antibody.

Results: Fascin immunoreactivity was detected in 4 (44.4%) microinvasion+invasive ductal carcinoma with extensive insitu component, 7 (43.7%) invasive ductal carcinomas with lymph nodes negative, 13 (81%) lymph node positive tumors and 10 (62.5%) metastatic lymph nodes. There was a statistically significant difference between these groups (p=0.044). Fascin immunoreactivity was significantly higher in invasive ductal carcinomas with lymph node positive than lymph node negative group (p=0.033). No statistically significant difference was seen between expressions of invasive ductal carcinomas with lymph node positive group and their metastasis in the lymph nodes. Tumors with high fascin immunoreacivity tended to show more frequent lymphovascular invasion (p= 0.002). Advanced stage and high grade correlated significantly with higher fascin immunostaining (p=0.036, p=0.01). There was no significant association between fascin expression and tumor size, ER/PR and cerb-B2 overexpression.

Conclusion: We evaluated the expression of fascin to determine its role in the progression of invasive ductal carcinomas, invasive phenotype and metastatic potential. Our findings suggest that fascin expression plays a role in the metastatic potential of invasive ductal carinomas.