title: Estrogen receptor gene amplification occurs rarely in ovarian cancer.
abstract: Amplification of the gene encoding estrogen receptor-alpha occurs in about 20% of breast cancers and is an important mechanism for estrogen receptor overexpression in this tumor type. In ovarian cancer, overexpression of estrogen receptor protein has been described in more than two thirds of cases. To study a potential role of estrogen receptor-alpha gene amplification for estrogen receptor overexpression in ovarian cancer, a tumor tissue microarray containing 428 ovarian cancers was analyzed by fluorescence in situ hybridization for estrogen receptor-alpha gene amplification and immunohistochemistry for estrogen receptor expression. The estrogen receptor-alpha gene status was successfully determined in 243 of 428 arrayed cancers. Estrogen receptor gene amplification was found in 5 of 243 (2%) of tumors. Amplification levels were usually low, with 4-8 estrogen receptor-alpha gene copies. However, one case had a high-level amplification, with more than 30 estrogen receptor-alpha gene copies. All five amplified tumors were estrogen receptor positive, with 3 of 5 tumors showing highest (Allred score, 7-8) estrogen receptor levels. The data demonstrate that estrogen receptor-alpha amplification occurs only rarely in ovarian cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Rana M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Issa
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lebeau
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Grob
authors.forename: Frederik
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Holst
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moch
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Terracciano
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Choschzick
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sauter
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Simon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C506487:ESR1 protein, human; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha