Prognostic significance of HER-2, p53 and Bcl-2 in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer.
BACKGROUND
Several oncogenes and onco-suppressor genes have been implicated in epithelial ovarian carcinogenesis, but their clinical significance is not clear and conflicting data have been found in various studies.


METHODS
The immunohistochemical expression of HER-2, p53 and Bcl-2 proteins was investigated in a cohort of 95 patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (stages IIc-IV). These patients participated in a phase III randomized clinical trial and were treated either with paclitaxel/carboplatin, orpaclitaxel/carboplatin alternating with paclitaxel/cisplatin.


RESULTS
Positive immunostaining for HER-2, p53 and Bcl-2 proteins was found in 18%, 70.5% and 69.5% of the cases, respectively. In multivariate analysis, older patients (< 63 vs. > or = 63 years, p < 0.001), worse grade (I-II vs. III, p = 0.04) and p53 expression (negative vs. positive, p = 0.002) were significant prognostic factors independently associated with survival.


CONCLUSIONS
p53 status along with age and grade appear to be independent prognostic factors for survival in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer.
Malamou-Mitsi
Vassiliki
V
Department of Pathology, University of Ioannina School of Medicine, Ioannina, Greece. vmalamou@cc.uoi.gr
Crikoni
Olga
O
Timotheadou
Eleni
E
Aravantinos
Gerassimos
G
Vrettou
Eleni
E
Agnantis
Niki
N
Fountzilas
George
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018450:Disease Progression; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D016190:Carboplatin; D002945:Cisplatin; D017239:Paclitaxel; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; C495901:TP53 protein, human