Fascin, an actin-bundling protein found in membrane ruffles, microspikes, and stress fibers, induces membrane protrusions and increases cell motility in normal and various transformed cells. The expression of fascin in epithelial neoplasms has only been described recently, and the role of fascin in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is still unknown.

Paraffin sections of CRC from 79 patients were immunohistochemically investigated using monoclonal anti-fascin antibody. Staining of >5% of tumor cells was recorded as positive immunoreactivity.

Overall, fascin immunoreactivity was detected in 63 of 79 patients (79.7%). Twenty-three patients were classified as 1+ (5-25% immunoreactive tumor cells) and 24 were 2+ (>25% immunoreactive tumor cells). In these patients, 16 had 3+ (>75% immunoreactive tumor cells) fascin immunoreactivity. Fascin immunoreactivity was increased according to the TNM stage ( P <0.001), positive lymph node metastasis ( P <0.001), budding ( P <0.001), vessel invasion ( P =0.001), perineural invasion ( P =0.039), overall survival ( P =0.012), and disease-free survival ( P =0.016); however, fascin immunoreactivity was not correlated with recurrence or depth of tumor invasion.

This study suggests that an increased expression of fascin was associated with a poor prognosis and the immunohistochemical detection of fascin provides useful information as one of the prognostic values in CRC.