Prognostic relevance of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in ovarian carcinomas.
OBJECTIVE
Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) producing tumours were found associated with poor prognosis. Unfortunately, this finding is based on several case reports only. Thus, we investigated the expression of G-CSF in the tumour cells and the tumour stroma in a large collective of patients with ovarian cancer with long-term follow-up.


METHODS
Tissue and clinical records of 175 patients with histologically confirmed ovarian carcinoma were analysed for G-CSF expression in tumour cells and the surrounding stroma. The results were compared with peripheral blood counts and other prognostic factors in ovarian cancer.


RESULTS
No correlations were found between both G-CSF expression in tumour cells and the surrounding stroma and prognosis as well as peripheral blood counts. We only found a positive influence of granulocytes in the tumour stroma on prognosis, which however, was not significant in multifactorial analyses.


CONCLUSIONS
In contrast to the many case reports from other entities, G-CSF expression in tumour cells and the surrounding stroma is not an adverse prognostic factor. To find out the safety of G-CSF administration for the prevention or treatment of febrile neutropenia, it is suggested for clinical trials to include long-term follow-up and immunohistochemical characterisation of the tumour.
Münstedt
Karsten
K
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Clinic of the Universities Giessen and Marburg, Klinikstrasse 32, Giessen, Germany. karsten.muenstedt@gyn.med.uni-giessen.de
Hackethal
Andreas
A
Eskef
Kosai
K
Hrgovic
Igor
I
Franke
Folker E
FE
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D011379:Prognosis; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D016019:Survival Analysis
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor