Association of Serum HB-EGF Value and Response to Chemotherapy in Patients with Recurrent Ovarian Cancer.

Abstract

Many anticancer agents including molecularly-targeted drugs have been developed for ovarian cancer. However, the prognosis of recurrent ovarian cancer remains extremely poor. Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) is reported as a rational target for ovarian cancer therapy. Moreover, serum HB-EGF expression is recognized as a biomarker in patients with primary ovarian cancer. We analysed serum samples with recurrent ovarian cancer at the Fukuoka University Hospital from April 2009 to March 2014. To assess the clinical significance of serum HB-EGF in recurrent ovarian cancer, the association between serum HB-EGF levels and prognosis in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer was examined using ELISA. Patients with high serum HB-EGF expression showed a significantly poor response to second-line chemotherapeutic agents compared with patients with low HB-EGF levels. HB-EGF expression in serum may be a potential therapeutic indicator for novel HB-EGF-targeted therapy in recurrent ovarian cancer.