title: Prognostic role of E-cadherin in patients with advanced serous ovarian cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyse correlation between expression of E-cadherin and clinical and pathological features and overall survival in advanced-stage serous ovarian carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of E-cadherin was analysed immunohistochemically in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples from 54 patients with advanced-stage serous ovarian cancer and related to clinicopathological characteristics and patients survival. The clinicopathological characteristics included the stage according to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), tumour differentiation, number of mitoses per 10 high-power fields (HPF), residual tumour size, and vascular invasion. Only patients with serous ovarian cancer FIGO stages III-IV were included. Overall survival (OS) was defined as time from surgery to the last follow-up date on 01.10.2010. OS was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier method, and log-rank test was used to asses the differences between the positive and E-cadherin negative group. Multivariate analysis was completed using the Cox proportional hazard regression model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  E-cadherin immunoreactivity was not associated with FIGO stage, tumour grade, number of mitotic figures per 10 HPF, residual tumour volume or vascular invasion. Negative E-cadherin expression significantly predicted shorter OS (p < 0.001). The multivariate analyses showed that negative E-cadherin (p < 0.001), FIGO stage (p = 0.012) and residual tumour size >1 cm after the initial cytoreductive surgery (p < 0.001) were predictors of shorter OS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Negative E-cadherin expression like presence of residual tumour after primary cytoreductive surgery and higher FIGO stage seem to predict unfavourable clinical outcome in patients with advanced-stage serous ovarian cancer. Negative expression of E-cadherin was shown to be a significant independent predictor of poorer OS. E-cadherin as marker has prognostic value.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Split University Hospital Centre and School of Medicine, Spinčićeva 1, 21000 Split, Croatia. boris.bacic@st.t-com.hr
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bačić
authors.forename: Herman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Haller
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mrklić
authors.forename: Vana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Košta
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Čarić
authors.forename: Snježana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tomić
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D015820:Cadherins / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual / Q000473:pathology; D018297:Neoplasms, Cystic, Mucinous, and Serous / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015820:Cadherins