title: Prognostic significance of HER-2, p53 and Bcl-2 in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Ioannina School of Medicine, Ioannina, Greece. vmalamou@cc.uoi.gr
authors.forename: Vassiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Malamou-Mitsi
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Crikoni
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Timotheadou
authors.forename: Gerassimos
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aravantinos
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vrettou
authors.forename: Niki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Agnantis
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fountzilas
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: 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