Prognostic factors in ovarian carcinosarcoma: a clinicopathological and immunohistochemical analysis of 23 cases.
Carcinosarcoma of the ovary is a rare, highly aggressive neoplasm comprising histologically of both epithelial and mesenchymal components. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinicopathological prognostic factors in ovarian carcinosarcoma, including the immunohistochemical expression of p53 protein and Ki67.


RESULTS
Twenty-three cases of carcinosarcoma of the ovary were studied retrospectively. The clinicopathological and immunohistochemical parameters including p53 and Ki67 staining were statistically analysed to investigate the prognostic significance of this tumour. The overall 5-year survival rate was 27.1%; 100% for stage I, 31.3% for stage II, 10.9% for stage III and 0% for stage IV. The low-stage group (stages I and II) was found to be a significant prognostic factor for patient survival (P = 0.0113). None of the other factors (tumour size, histological type of carcinomatous and sarcomatous components, mitotic count, vascular space invasion and immunoreactivity for p53 protein and Ki6 7) was found to be a statistically significant prognostic indicator.


CONCLUSIONS
Ovarian carcinosarcoma is a rare malignancy with poor prognosis. In this study, advanced stage appears to be poor prognostic indicator of survival in patients with ovarian carcinosarcoma.
Ariyoshi
K
K
Department of Anatomic Pathology, Pathological Sciences, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Kawauchi
S
S
Kaku
T
T
Nakano
H
H
Tsuneyoshi
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D002296:Carcinosarcoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D002452:Cell Count; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53