Abstract
BackgroundOvarian clear cell carcinoma (CCC) is an uncommon subtype of ovarian epithelial tumor. The prognostic significance of its clinicopathological parameters is discordant, with the exception of stage as the adverse prognostic factor. The present study aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of its clinicopathological characteristics and the expression of IMP3 (Insulin-like growth factor-II mRNA-binding protein 3, IMP3 or IGF2BP3) in Chinese patients with primary pure CCC.MethodsWe collected clinicopathological data from 73 cases with a minimum of 5 years of follow-up and evaluated the expression of IMP3 by immunohistochemistry.ResultsIn total, 49.3 % of the patients were in stage I. Advanced stages were closely related to poor prognosis of disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) (P < 0.005). Patients with CCC coexisting with endometriosis tended to be younger and to have unilateral involvement but did not exhibit differences in prognosis compared with patients with CCC without endometriosis. Other histological features such as growth pattern, mitosis, and necrosis did not have prognostic significance. IMP3 was positive in 63 % of patients (46 of 73 cases); Thus, positive expression of IMP3 is an adverse prognostic marker in terms of OS (P = 0.012), even in stage I patients (P = 0.038).ConclusionsThe present study demonstrates that IMP3 expression is a prognostic marker, with the exception of stage. IMP3 represents a biomarker of unfavorable prognosis even in stage I patients.
Highlights
Ovarian clear cell carcinoma (CCC) is an uncommon subtype of ovarian epithelial tumor
Most of CCC in stage I [3] associated with endometriosis [4] has a poor response to platinum-based regimens, which results in an unfavorable prognosis, for advanced stages [3, 5, 6]
Data were collected from 73 patients with a primary diagnosis of pure ovarian CCC who underwent their first operation at Fudan Cancer Center between 1999 and 2009 and who had a minimum of 5 years of follow-up
Summary
Ovarian clear cell carcinoma (CCC) is an uncommon subtype of ovarian epithelial tumor. The present study aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of its clinicopathological characteristics and the expression of IMP3 (Insulin-like growth factor-II mRNA-binding protein 3, IMP3 or IGF2BP3) in Chinese patients with primary pure CCC. A grading system based on CCC growth pattern correlates with survival in ovarian CCC [7] This relationship has not been further confirmed, and the impact of the histopathological characteristics on prognosis has been disputed. Insulin-like growth factor-II mRNA-binding protein 3 (IMP3 or IGF2BP3), a member of the IMP family, is highly expressed in embryo. This protein is involved in the binding, transport and stability of the embryonic isoforms of the IGF-II gene. IMP3 is considered as an oncofetal protein and is related to tumor metastasis
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