title: HER-2 overexpression is an independent marker of poor prognosis of advanced primary ovarian carcinoma: a multicenter study of the GINECO group.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite numerous studies, no biological marker has been identified that accurately predicts prognosis of advanced ovarian cancer. Tumors from a homogeneous population of 117 patients with a stage III/IV ovarian cancer, enrolled in a multicenter prospective GINECO clinical trial were analyzed retrospectively.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients received the same platinum-based combination therapy and were followed-up for a median of 68 months. Tumor expression of Ki67, BCL-2, BAX, P53 or c-erbB-2 proteins was evaluated immunohistochemically on paraffin-embedded tissues and their prognostic impact analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median rate of Ki67-positive nuclear area was 30%. BCL-2, BAX and P53 proteins were expressed in 52, 54 and 71% of the tumors, respectively, while HER-2 protein was overexpressed in 16%. Only HER-2 overexpression was significantly associated with shorter progression-free survival and overall survival. According to our multivariate analysis, the HER-2 prognostic impact was independent of classical clinical prognostic factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HER-2 appeared to influence the outcome of advanced ovarian cancer patients included in a clinical trial with prolonged follow-up, thereby suggesting that HER-2 is a potential target for treatment of this cancer.
authors.affiliation: Service d'Anatomie Pathologique and Service d'Oncologie, Hôtel-Dieu, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, UFR Paris VI, Paris, France. sophie.camilleri-broet@htd.ap-hop-paris.fr
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Camilleri-Broët
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Hardy-Bessard
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Le Tourneau
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Paraiso
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Levrel
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Leduc
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bain
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Orfeuvre
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Audouin
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pujade-Lauraine
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017326:Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009375:Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002945:Cisplatin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D015251:Epirubicin; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases