Gross Cystic Disease Fluid Protein 15 (GCDFP-15) is a marker derived from breast epithelium secretions. It is a marker of apocrine differentiation. In the setting diagnostic pathology, GCDFP-15 is very specific for breast carcinoma. Most basal-like breast carcinomas do not express GCDFP-15 or Mammaglobin. It also marks salivary and sweat gland tumors, but this rarely is in the differential diagnosis with breast carcinoma.
The sensitivity for breast carcinomas is in the range of 50-70%.
Common expression patterns in carcinoma [Dennis, et al and Striebel et al]:
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Tumor
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(%)
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Breast
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50-70%
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Colon
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<5%
|
|
Lung
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up to 5%
|
|
Ovary
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<5%
|
|
Pancreas
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<5%
|
|
Stomach
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<5%
|
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Prostate
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~10%
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Photomicrographs
References
Dennis, J. L., Hvidsten, T. R., Wit, E. C., Komorowski, J., Bell, A. K., Downie, I., et al. (2005). Markers of adenocarcinoma characteristic of the site of origin: development of a diagnostic algorithm. Clinical Cancer Research : an Official Journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, 11(10), 3766–3772. doi:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-04-2236
Striebel, J. M., & Yousem, S. A. (2008). Gross Cystic Disease Fluid Protein – (GCDFP-15): Expression in Primary Lung Adenocarcinoma. The American Journal of Surgical Pathology, 00(00), 7.
Lewis, G. H., Subhawong, A. P., Nassar, H., Vang, R., Illei, P. B., Park, B. H., & Argani, P. (2011). Relationship between molecular subtype of invasive breast carcinoma and expression of gross cystic disease fluid protein 15 and mammaglobin. American Journal of Clinical Pathology, 135(4), 587–591. doi:10.1309/AJCPMFR6OA8ICHNH