Stage Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Research Articles

The role of omentectomy and random peritoneal biopsies as part of comprehensive surgical staging in apparent early-stage epithelial ovarian cancer.

Comprehensive surgical staging plays an important role in apparent early-stage epithelial ovarian cancer (eEOC). However, few studies have evaluated how often upstaging occurs solely as a result of microscopic metastases identified from omentectomy and random peritoneal biopsies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the significance of omentectomy and random peritoneal biopsies for normal-appearing tissues in eEOC. A retrospective study was performed of patients with eEOC [International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) Stages I-IIIA] between 1991 and 2010. The demographic characteristics, surgical findings, and pathologic variables were analyzed. In total, 324 patients were included in the study. Of 127 patients who underwent random peritoneal biopsies, 6 (4.7%) were upstaged to IIB or IIC based solely on pelvic peritoneal biopsy findings and 3 (2.4%) were upstaged to IIIA based on abdominal peritoneal biopsy findings. Of 256 patients who underwent omentectomy, 7 (2.7%) were upstaged to IIIA based on microscopic metastases identified in the normal-appearing omentum. Following routine omentectomy and random peritoneal biopsies, only one patient in our cohort experienced a change in her adjuvant treatment recommendation. Although the rate of upstaging based on routine omentectomy and random peritoneal biopsies is not negligible, there is a low chance that the treatment plan will be altered to include chemotherapy after surgery as a result of the occult microscopic metastases identified.

Expression of metastasis-associated in colon cancer-1 in different stages of epithelial ovarian cancer

To investigate the expression of metastasis-associated in colon cancer-1 (MACC1) in different International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics(FIGO)stages of epithelial ovarian cancer and its relationship with prognosis. Between May 2008 and August 2010, 52 epithelial ovarian cancer patients were selected from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting were used to detect the expression of MACC1 mRNA and protein in the primary lesions of epithelial ovarian cancer patients, the levels of MACC1 in different stage patients were compared, and the relationship between expression of MACC1 and prognosis of ovarian cancer patients was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier analysis. The relative expression levels of MACC1 mRNA in epithelial ovarian cancer from 1 stage to 4 stage were 0.72±0.01, 0.75±0.01, 0.78±0.01, and 0.81±0.02, respectively (F=51.305, P=0.000). The expression levels of MACC1 protein from 1 stage to 4 stage were 0.71±0.04, 0.73±0.02, 0.76±0.01, and 0.84±0.05, respectively (F=65.142, P=0.000). At the end of the follow-up, the expression of MACC1 protein in recurrence and dead patients of 3-4 stages was obviously higher than that in the patients with stable disease (0.85±0.03 vs.0.74±0.05, F=72.324, P=0.000). Compared to 1-2 stage patients with lower MACC1 expression, the survival time of 3-4 stage patients with higher MACCC1 expression was significantly shorter (χ(2)=29.804, P=0.000). Increased expression of MACC1 may indicate poor prognosis of ovarian cancer patients. Therefore, MACC1 may be a potential biomarker for advanced ovarian cancer.

Galectin-1 overexpression promotes progression and chemoresistance to cisplatin in epithelial ovarian cancer

This study was performed to investigate the role of galectin-1 (Gal-1) in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) progression and chemoresistance. Tissue samples from patients with EOC were used to examine the correlation between Gal-1 expression and clinical stage of EOC. The role of Gal-1 in EOC progression and chemoresistance was evaluated in vitro by siRNA-mediated knockdown of Gal-1 or lentivirus-mediated overexpression of Gal-1 in EOC cell lines. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying Gal-1-mediated tumor progression and chemoresistance, the expression and activities of some signaling molecules associated with Gal-1 were analyzed. We found overexpression of Gal-1 in advanced stages of EOC. Knockdown of endogenous Gal-1 in EOC cells resulted in the reduction in cell growth, migration, and invasion in vitro, which may be caused by Gal-1's interaction with H-Ras and activation of the Raf/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway. Additionally, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and c-Jun were downregulated in Gal-1-knockdown cells. Notably, Gal-1 overexpression could significantly decrease the sensitivities of EOC cells to cisplatin, which might be ascribed to Gal-1-induced activation of the H-Ras/Raf/ERK pathway and upregulation of p21 and Bcl-2. Taken together, the results suggest that Gal-1 contributes to both tumorigenesis and cisplatin resistance in EOC. Thus, Gal-1 is a potential therapeutic target for EOC.

Cáncer epitelial avanzado de ovario en un grupo de pacientes colombianas

ObjectiveTo describe fourteen years of experience of in the treatment of advanced stages of epithelial ovarian cancer in the National Cancer Institute of Colombia MethodsA retrospective observational case series including patients with epithelial ovarian cancer in stages III and IV, who received primary treatment in National Cancer Institute of Colombia between January 1st, 1997 and December 31th, 2011. ResultsA total of 119 patients were identified durin the study period. With a median age of 56 years, most patients showed functional status compromise (63.9%) and hypolbuminemia (82.4%). The most common histological type was serous adenocarcinoma (62.2%) and there was poorly differentiated histological grade in 63.3% of cases. Almost all (94.1%) patients had peritoneal surfaces compromise with involvement of the upper abdomen in 38.7% and extra-abdominal disease in 29.4%. Treatment with primary surgery plus adjuvant chemotherapy was performed on 89.1%, achieving optimal cytoreduction in 25.2%; 29% of cases showed progression during treatment, and 57% of them relapsed. The median disease-free survival was 16.61 months, and the overall survival was 28.93 months. ConclusionsIn our setting, patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer have a high tumor burden and aggressive behavior of the disease, reflected in a poor oncological outcome.

State of the art of surgery in advanced epithelial ovarian cancer

State of the art of surgery in advanced epithelial ovarian cancer

Incidence and Predictors of Venous Thromboembolism After Debulking Surgery for Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and the risk factors of venous thromboembolism (VTE) within 30 days after primary surgery for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). In a historical cohort study, we estimated the postoperative 30-day cumulative incidence of VTE among consecutive Mayo Clinic patients undergoing primary cytoreduction for EOC between January 2, 2003, and December 29, 2008. We tested perioperative patient characteristics and process-of-care variables (defined by the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, >130 variables) as potential predictors of postoperative VTE using the Cox proportional hazards modeling. Among 569 cases of primary EOC cytoreduction and/or staging and no recent VTE, 35 developed symptomatic VTE within 30 days after surgery (cumulative incidence = 6.5%; 95% confidence interval, 4.4%-8.6%). Within the cohort, 95 (16.7%) received graduated compression stockings (GCSs), 367 (64.5%) had sequential compression devices + GCSs, and 69 (12.1%) had sequential compression devices + GCSs + postoperative heparin, with VTE rates of 1.1%, 7.4%, and 5.8%, respectively (P = 0.07, χ(2) test). The remaining 38 (6.7%) received various other chemical and mechanical prophylaxis regimens. In the multivariate analysis, current or past tobacco smoking, longer hospital stay, and a remote history of VTE significantly increased the risk for postoperative VTE. Venous thromboembolism is a substantial postoperative complication among women with EOC, and the high cumulative rate of VTE within 30 days after primary surgery suggests that a more aggressive strategy is needed for VTE prevention. In addition, because longer hospital stay is independently associated with a higher risk for VTE, methods to decrease length of stay and minimize factors that contribute to prolonged hospitalization are warranted.

The Impact of Perioperative Packed Red Blood Cell Transfusion on Survival in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Perioperative packed red blood cell transfusion (PRBCT) has been implicated as a negative prognostic marker in surgical oncology. There is a paucity of evidence on the impact of PRBCT on outcomes in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). We assessed whether PRBCT is an independent risk factor of recurrence and death from EOC. Perioperative patient characteristics and process-of-care variables (defined by the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program) were retrospectively abstracted from 587 women who underwent primary EOC staging between January 2, 2003, and December 29, 2008. Associations with receipt of PRBCT were evaluated using univariate logistic regression models. The associations between receipt of PRBCT and disease-free survival and overall survival were evaluated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models and using propensity score matching and stratification, respectively. The rate of PRBCT was 77.0%. The mean ± SD units transfused was 4.1 ± 3.1 U. In the univariate analysis, receipt of PRBCT was significantly associated with older age, advanced stage (≥ IIIA), undergoing splenectomy, higher surgical complexity, serous histologic diagnosis, greater estimated blood loss, longer operating time, the presence of residual disease, and lower preoperative albumin and hemoglobin. Perioperative packed red blood cell transfusion was not associated with an increased risk for recurrence or death, in an analysis adjusting for other risk factors in a multivariable model or in an analysis using propensity score matching or stratification to control for differences between the patients with and without PRBCT. Perioperative packed red blood cell transfusion does not seem to be directly associated with recurrence and death in EOC. However, lower preoperative hemoglobin was associated with a higher risk for recurrence. The need for PRBCT seems to be a stronger prognostic indicator than the receipt of PRBCT.

High levels of circulating CD34+/VEGFR3+ lymphatic/vascular endothelial progenitor cells is correlated with lymph node metastasis in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer

Lymph node metastasis is one of the predictive factors associated with poor prognosis of epithelial ovarian cancer. To clarify the role of CD34 and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-3-positive (CD34+/VEGFR3+) lymphatic/vascular endothelial progenitor cells (LVEPC) in patients with lymph node metastasis and epithelial ovarian cancer progression, the levels of circulating CD34+/VEGFR3+ LVEPC in epithelial ovarian cancer patients were detected. We also tested the plasma protein levels of VEGF and stromal cell-derived factor to find out their possible relationships with lymph node metastasis in our epithelial ovarian cancer cohort. Peripheral blood samples were collected from 54 patients diagnosed as epithelial ovarian cancer, and 31 normal samples as control. The circulating levels of LVEPC were carried out by flow cytometry, and blood protein levels of biomarkers were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The level of circulating LVEPC was significantly higher in patients with ovarian cancer compared with that of healthy controls. There was also a statistically significant correlation between LVEPC levels and surgical staging of epithelial ovarian cancer (P < 0.01). The circulating levels of bone marrow-derived LVEPC are significantly increased in epithelial ovarian cancer patients and these levels correlate with lymph node metastasis too.

Evaluating the prognostic significance of preoperative thrombocytosis in epithelial ovarian cancer

ObjectivePreoperative thrombocytosis has been implicated as a negative prognostic marker for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). We assessed whether thrombocytosis is an independent risk factor for EOC recurrence and death. MethodsPerioperative patient characteristics and process-of-care variables (National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP)-defined) were retrospectively abstracted from 587 women who underwent EOC staging between 1/2/03–12/29/08. Thrombocytosis was defined as platelet count>450×109/L. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were determined using Kaplan–Meier methods. Associations were evaluated with Cox proportional hazards regression and hazard ratios (HR). ResultsThe incidence of preoperative thrombocytosis was 22.3%. DFS was 70.8% and 36.0% at 1 and 3years. OS was 83.3% and 54.3% at 1 and 3years. Ascites, lower hemoglobin, advanced disease, and receipt of perioperative packed red blood cell transfusion were independently associated with thrombocytosis. Older age and the presence of coronary artery disease were associated with lower likelihood of thrombocytosis. Overall, thrombocytosis was an independent predictor of increased risk of recurrence. Among early stage (I/II) cases, there was a 5-fold increase in the risk of death and nearly 8-fold risk of disease recurrence independently associated with thrombocytosis. ConclusionPreoperative thrombocytosis portends worse DFS in EOC. In early stage disease, thrombocytosis is a potent predictor of worse DFS and OS and further assessment of the impact of circulating platelet-derived factors on EOC survival is warranted. Thrombocytosis is also associated with extensive initial disease burden, measurable residual disease, and postoperative sequelae. Preoperative platelet levels may have value in primary cytoreduction counseling.

Utilizing propensity scores to determine the risk of recurrence and death in epithelial ovarian cancer.

5577 Background: Perioperative red blood cell transfusion (PRBCT) may be a negative prognostic marker in surgical oncology. We assessed PRBCT as an independent risk factor for recurrence and death from epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) in the largest cohort to date. Methods: Patient characteristics and process-of-care variables (NSQIP-defined, &gt;130 variables) were retrospectively abstracted from 587 women who underwent primary staging and cytoreduction for EOC (1/1/03-12/29/08). Evaluated using propensity scoring with univariate logistic regression and odds ratios (OR) and Cox proportional hazards regression and hazard ratios (HR). Factors with p&lt;0.1 used in multivariate models. Results: Rate of PRBCT was 77.0% (452/587). In univariable analysis, PRBCT was associated with older age (OR 1.25[95% CI 1.06, 1.48]/10yr increase), stage≥IIIa (4.66[3.04, 7.13]), splenectomy (26.63[3.67, 193.17]), higher surgical complexity (1.86[1.17, 2.95] score 2; 21.48 [7.37, 62.59] 3; referent 1), serous histology (2.36[1.57, 3.55]vs non-serous), longer operating time (1.58[1.36, 1.83]/hr increase), and residual disease (3.26[1.97, 5.41]≤1cm; 1.97[1.09, 3.56]&gt;1cm), and lower preop hemoglobin (Hb) (1.89[1.59, 2.27]per 1g/dL decrease). In univariable analysis, PRBCT was associated with a higher risk of recurrence (HR 1.96[95% CI 1.43, 2.68]) and death (1.71[1.28, 2.28]). However, in multivariable analysis, stage≥IIIa (4.03[2.05, 6.49]), splenectomy (1.41[1.02, 1.95]), residual disease (1.86[1.41, 2.46]≤1cm; 2.91[2.02, 4.18]&gt;1cm), and lower preop Hb (1.09[1.01, 1.19]) were associated with higher risk of recurrence. Older age (1.24[1.12, 1.37]), stage≥IIIa (3.07[1.93, 4.90]), albumin ≤3 g/dL (2.06[1.28, 3.31]), residual disease (1.63[1.22, 2.19]≤1cm; 3.03[2.19, 4.18]&gt;1cm), and low Hb (1.08[1.00, 1.19]) were associated with higher risk of death. Serous histology (0.70[0.52, 0.95]) associated with lower risk of death. Conclusions: PRBCT does not appear to be directly associated with disease-free and overall survival in EOC. Lower preoperative Hb was associated with a higher risk of both recurrence and death. The need for PRBCT appears to be a stronger prognostic indicator than the receipt of PRBCT.

Final results of OV16, a phase III randomized study of sequential cisplatin-topotecan and carboplatin-paclitaxel (CP) versus CP in first-line chemotherapy for advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC): A GCIG study of NCIC CTG, EORTC-GCG, and GEICO.

5502 Background: Topotecan was evaluated in a novel combination regimen in comparison to standard therapy in front-line EOC. Methods: Women with newly diagnosed advanced EOC stages IIB-IV, ECOG performance status (PS) 0-1, age &lt; 75, were randomized to either Arm 1: cycles 1 - 4: cisplatin 50 mg/m2 d1 plus topotecan 0.75 mg/m2 d1-5 IV; cycles 5 - 8: paclitaxel 175 mg/m2over 3 hrs d1 followed by carboplatin AUC5 day 1 or Arm 2: paclitaxel plus carboplatin as in Arm 1 for 8 cycles. The primary endpoint was progression free survival (PFS) and secondary endpoints included objective response, overall survival (OS), adverse event (AE) and Quality of Life (QoL). The sample size required 800 pts and 631 events to detect an improvement in PFS from 16 to 20 months (power 80%, 2-sided alpha 0.05). Results with 3.6 years median follow-up (MFU) were reported previously: there was no significant difference in PFS (Hoskins P, JNCI 2010). Final results including OS after MFU of 8.2 years are reported. Results: From 2001 to 2005, 819 pts (409 Arm 1, 410 Arm 2) were randomized. 704 PFS events and 605 deaths have occurred. PFS results are similar to first report: Median (months [mo]): 14.6 (Arm 1) and 16.2 (Arm 2), hazard ratio (HR) 1.03 (95% CI:0.81-1.30; p = 0.83). Median OS is 44.2 mo (Arm 1) and 44.8 mo (Arm 2), HR: 0.92 (95% CI:0.71-1.19; p=0.54). Baseline factors found to be independent predictors of OS in multivariate analysis are: a) pre-randomization surgery (debulking with no macro residual disease (MRD) to no debulking HR: 0.47; 95%CI:0.37-0.58; p &lt; 0.0001; debulking with MRD (&lt;1 cm) to no debulking HR: 0.76; 95%CI:0.61-0.94; p = 0.01), b) Stage (stage II to III or IV HR:0.52; 95%CI:0.36-0.76; p = 0.0007) and c) PS (0 vs 1 HR:0.76; 95%CI:0.63-0.91; p = 0.004). Post-treatment AEs were not significantly different in the two arms. Conclusions: OV16 final results confirm that sequential doublets of topotecan and cisplatin followed by carboplatin and paclitaxel offer no improvement in outcomes compared to carboplatin and paclitaxel. Pretreatment debulking, stage II and PS 0 are predictive of longer OS. Clinical trial information: NCT00028743.

Serum agonistic autoantibodies against type-1 angiotensin II receptor titer in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer: a potential role in tumor cell migration and angiogenesis

BackgroundAlthough agonistic autoantibodies against type-1 angiotensin-II receptor (AT1-AA) are frequently detected in women with preeclampsia, the clinical significance of AT1-AA in association with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) has not been identified.MethodsIn an attempt to clarify this issue, we measured serum AT1-AA titer from EOC patients (n = 89) and healthy normal subjects (n = 55), correlated AT1-AA titer with EOC stage and grade, and demonstrated the effects of purified AT1-AA on migration of ovarian cancer cells and angiogenesis of chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane.ResultsWe found that the AT1-AA titer was significantly higher in EOC patients compared with healthy control subjects (1.77 ± 0.28 vs. 0.35 ± 0.05, P < 0.01). The positive rate was averaged by 72.1±2.5% in EOC patients and 15.5 ±1.5% in control (P < 0.01). Increased AT1-AA titer in EOC patients was associated with advanced stages and grades of EOC, and positively correlated with level of vascular endothelial growth factor (r = 0.855, P < 0.01). Furthermore, AT1-AA directly stimulated migration of ovarian cancer cells and enhanced microvascular density of chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane. These AT1-AA-mediated effects were significantly blocked either by an autoantibody-neutralizing peptide or an angiotensin II type I receptor antagonist, losartan.ConclusionTaken together, we found that a higher serum AT1-AA titer may be associated with advanced progression of EOC in patients and play an important role in development of EOC by promoting cancer cell migration and angiogenesis. These findings implicate that AT1-AA might be selected as a detectable biomarker and potential therapeutic target in diagnosis and treatment of EOC patients.

Defining the optimal lymphadenectomy cut-off value in epithelial ovarian cancer staging surgery utilizing a mathematical model of validation

ObjectiveSince 1985 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics includes pelvic and aortic lymphadenectomy as part of the surgical staging in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). There is no consensus on the overall number of nodes needed in a systematic lymphadenectomy. The aim of this study is to calculate the optimal cut-off value using a mathematical modeling approach. MethodsData was collected retrospectively, from 1996 to 2000, of 120 consecutive Mayo Clinic patients with EOC and positive nodes. All patients was underwent pelvic and/or aortic lymphadnectomy during surgical staging.To mathematically predict the probability of a positive node in EOC patients we used a predictive mathematical model (PMM). The mathematical analysis consisted: creation of a new PMM according to our purposes, application of PMM to describe the experimental data in order to build the polynomial regression curves in each lymphatic area and determine the optimal point for each curve. ResultsThe mean number of lymph nodes and metastatic nodes removed were 35 and 7.8, respectively; the mean percentage of positive nodes was 28.3%. The optimal point of each fitting curves were: 7 nodes for unilateral aortic nodal sampling (at least 3 infrarenal or 5 inframesenteric) and 15 nodes for unilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy (at least 5 external iliac). ConclusionsWe can mathematically predict the probability to obtain a positive node in EOC surgical staging. Our results have shown the need to obtain at least 22 lymph nodes between pelvic and aortic lymphadenectomy.

Evaluation of Risk Factors for Venous Thromboembolism in Chinese Women With Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a life-threatening complication that often occurs in ovarian tumors. However, the risk factors for VTE are still undetermined. We retrospectively analyzed VTE occurrence and its potential risk factors in 254 Chinese patients with ovarian tumor at Fudan University Cancer Hospital from July 2007 to June 2011. The VTE incidence was 7.1% (13/183) in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), and no VTE was found in ovarian borderline or benign tumor. D-dimer levels were significantly higher in EOC than in ovarian benign and borderline tumors. Furthermore, D-dimer levels increased with the advancement of EOC stages. Correlation analysis suggested that D-dimer levels were well correlated with platelet counting (PLT), prothrombin time (PT), white blood cell counting (WBC), cancer antigen (CA) 125, and CA153. Univariate logistic regression analysis found that D-dimer levels greater than 788 μg/L, PLT levels greater than 261 × 10(9)/L, PT greater than 11.7 seconds, CA125 greater than 760 U/mL, and ascites greater than 1500 mL are risk factors for VTE in EOC. Moreover, multivariate analysis grouped primary EOC, low differentiated grade, D-dimer greater than 788 μg/L, PT greater than 11.7 seconds, and CA125 greater than 760 U/mL as prediction factors for VTE. In addition to D-dimer and ascites, high levels of PLT, PT, and CA125, which are highly correlated with D-dimer, are independent risk factors for VTE.

Epigenetic silencing of DKK2 and Wnt signal pathway components in human ovarian carcinoma

Wnt/β-Catenin signaling dysregulation is involved in tumorigenesis. Furthermore, epigenetic modification of the Dickkopf (DKK) family (DKK1-DKK4) has been shown to be important in Wnt signaling regulation. In this study, the role of DKK2, a Wnt antagonist, in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) was evaluated by examining the expression and methylation of DKK2 in SKOV3 and ES-2 ovarian cancer cell lines and 78 tissues collected from patients (50 ovarian carcinoma, 20 benign tumor and 8 normal ovarian tissues). DKK2 is highly downregulated in EOCs; however, DKK2 expression levels are higher in both normal tissues and benign tumors. In most cases of ovarian carcinoma, DKK2 is methylated, compared with the more common unmethylated form present in benign tumors and normal ovarian tissues. Additionally, DKK2 may be epigenetically silenced by methylation in higher grades and stages of EOC. Functional analysis revealed that overexpression of DKK2 suppressed malignant cell growth and invasion in SKOV3 and ES-2 cell lines. The expression of the downstream genes of Wnt signaling, including β-catenin, c-Myc and cyclin D1, was decreased in DKK2-transfected cells compared with mock cells. The expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and focal adhesion kinase were also decreased in DKK2 transfectants, supporting findings indicating inhibition of cell migration and invasion. This report provides novel indications that DKK2 is a unique hypermethylated target gene in EOC and that DKK2 may contribute to tumorigenesis in EOC through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling mechanisms.

Up-Regulation of Cadherin 17 and Down-Regulation of Homeodomain Protein CDX2 Correlate With Tumor Progression and Unfavorable Prognosis in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Cadherin 17 (CDH17), belonging to the 7D-cadherin superfamily, represents a novel oncogene, which is involved in tumor invasion and metastasis. Its expression has been demonstrated to be regulated by caudal-related homeobox transcription factor CDX2. The roles of 2 biomarkers have been conflictingly explained. Therefore, the aims of this study were to investigate the expression patterns of CDH17 and CDX2 in human epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and to evaluate the clinical significance of these 2 markers in the progression and prognosis of EOC. CDH17 and CDX2 expressions in 182 paraffin-embedded EOC specimens were detected by immunohistochemical staining. Associations of their expression with clinical pathological factors and overall survival were statistically evaluated. Compared with normal surface ovarian epithelium tissues, CDH17 expression was upregulated and CDX2 expression was downregulated in EOC tissues. There was a negative correlation between CDH17 and CDX2 expression in EOC tissues (r = -0.76, P = 0.001). Tumors with high CDH17 expression were more likely to have advanced stage (P = 0.01) and higher grade (P = 0.03). Patients with low CDX2 expression were more frequently to be at the advanced stage of disease (P = 0.01). In addition, univariate analysis indicated that the patients with high CDH17 expression correlated with poor prognosis in patients with EOC (P = 0.001), as opposed to CDX2 (P = 0.003). Especially, the survival rate of patients with EOC with CDH17-high/CDX2-low expression was the lowest (P < 0.001). Multivariate statistical analysis showed that the conjoined expression of CDH17/CDX2 was an independent prognostic indicator of EOC (P = 0.01). Our data suggest that both the up-regulation of CDH17 and the down-regulation of CDX2 may be associated with the advanced stage of EOC. A conjoined detection of CDH17/CDX2 expression may be associated with unfavorable prognosis in patients with this disease.

Chemotherapy versus surgery for initial treatment in advanced ovarian epithelial cancer

Epithelial ovarian cancer presents at an advanced stage in the majority of women. These women require surgery and chemotherapy for optimal treatment. Conventional treatment is to perform surgery first and then give chemotherapy. However, it is not yet clear whether there are any advantages to using chemotherapy before surgery. To assess whether there is an advantage to treating women with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer with chemotherapy before cytoreductive surgery (neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT)) compared with conventional treatment where chemotherapy follows maximal cytoreductive surgery. For the original review we searched, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, Issue 3, 2006), MEDLINE (Silver Platter, from 1966 to 1 Sept 2006), EMBASE via Ovid (from 1980 to 1 Sept 2006), CANCERLIT (from 1966 to 1 Sept 2006), PDQ (search for open and closed trials) and MetaRegister (most current search Sept 2006). For this update randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were identified by searching the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, Issue 3, 2011) and the Cochrane Gynaecological Cancer Specialised Register (2011), MEDLINE (August week 1, 2011), EMBASE (to week 31, 2011), PDQ (search for open and closed trials) and MetaRegister (August 2011). RCTs of women with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (Federation of International Gynaecologists and Obstetricians (FIGO) stage III/IV) who were randomly allocated to treatment groups that compared platinum-based chemotherapy before cytoreductive surgery with platinum-based chemotherapy following cytoreductive surgery. Data were extracted by two review authors independently, and the quality of included trials was assessed by two review authors independently. One high-quality RCT met the inclusion criteria. This multicentre trial randomised 718 women with stage IIIc/IV ovarian cancer to NACT followed by interval debulking surgery (IDS) or primary debulking surgery (PDS) followed by chemotherapy. There were no significant differences between the study groups with regard to overall survival (OS) (670 women; HR 0.98; 95% CI 0.82 to 1.18) or progression-free survival (PFS) (670 women; HR 1.01; 95% CI 0.86 to 1.17).Significant differences occurred between the NACT and PDS groups with regard to some surgically related serious adverse effects (SAE grade 3/4) including haemorrhage (12 in NACT group vs 23 in PDS group; RR 0.50; 95% CI 0.25 to 0.99), venous thromboembolism (none in NACT group vs eight in PDS group; RR 0.06; 95% CI 0 to 0.98) and infection (five in NACT group vs 25 in PDS group; RR 0.19; 95% CI 0.07 to 0.50). Quality of life (QoL) was reported to be similar for the NACT and PDS groups.Three ongoing RCTs were also identified. We consider the use of NACT in women with stage IIIc/IV ovarian cancer to be a reasonable alternative to PDS, particularly in bulky disease. With regard to selecting who will benefit from NACT, treatment should be tailored to the patient and should take into account resectability, age, histology, stage and performance status. These results cannot be generalised to women with stage IIIa and IIIb ovarian cancer; in these women, PDS is the standard. We await the results of three ongoing trials, which may change these conclusions.

Successful management of mucinous ovarian cancer by conservative surgery in week 6 of pregnancy: case report and literature review

PurposeThe management of ovarian cancer during pregnancy is still a big challenge, mostly due to the reciprocal impacts between cancer and pregnancy. The objective of this article is to present a rare case of maternal ovarian adenocarcinoma and review published similar cases about this clinical condition.Materials and methodsHere we report a rare case of maternal ovarian adenocarcinoma detected during gestational week 6, with good pregnancy outcome treated with conservative surgery.Results and discussionA case of maternal ovarian adenocarcinoma (stage I) was detected in week 6 of pregnancy receiving conservative surgery without chemotherapy. In week 39 of pregnancy, due to relapse of the cancer, the patient underwent excision of the isolated tumor, and gave birth to a healthy baby through cesarian section. After that, the patient received cytoreductive surgery associated with six chemotherapy. The patient was finally diagnosed as epithelial ovarian cancer stage IIIC, and had survived more than 5 years without relapse. The successful experience from this case suggested that pregnancy complicated with early ovarian cancer receiving conservative surgery could continue to pregnancy and the effect of cesarian section followed with cytoreductive surgery associated with six chemotherapy at full term was still satisfied.

HE4 protein and SMRP: Potential novel biomarkers in ovarian cancer detection.

Epithelial ovarian cancer has the highest mortality of all gynecological cancers, and its progression is often without symptoms. Clinical outcome and survival may be improved if the disease is identified in the early stages. The objective of the study was to evaluate the utility of the serum biomarkers human epididymis protein 4 (HE4), soluble mesothelin-related protein (SMRP) and CA125 in the detection of ovarian cancer. In this retrospective study, the serum concentrations of CA125, HE4 protein and SMRP were measured in a cohort of 70 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) compared with 78 healthy controls. Median serum levels of CA125 for ovarian cancer cases were 503.55±560.7 U/ml vs. 9.28±14.47 U/ml in the control group (p<0.001); for SMRP 5.13±7.64 nM vs. 1.02±0.89 nM (p<0.01); and for HE4 597.95±934.59 pM vs. 56.75±43.79 pM (p<0.001), respectively. Positive correlations between the clinical stage of EOC and CA125, HE4 and SMRP serum concentrations were found [(R=0.83; p<0.001); (R=0.64; p<0.001); (R=0.45; p<0.001), respectively]. Data analysis for the whole study group also revealed a significant correlation between plasma concentrations of CA125 and HE4 (R=0.45; p<0.001), between CA125 and SMRP (R=0.38; p<0.001) as well as HE4 and SMRP (R=0.51; p<0.001). Similar significant correlations between serum biomarker concentrations were also found in the ovarian cancer group [CA125 and HE4 (R=0.31; p<0.01); CA125 and SMRP (R=0.25; p<0.05); HE4 and SMRP (R=0.44, p<0.001), respectively]. A significant correlation was observed between the serous histological type of EOC and serum concentration of HE4 in the study group compared with other non-serous types of ovarian cancer (p<0.01). In conclusion, measuring CA125 in combination with new biomarkers such as SMRP and HE4 may improve the accuracy of ovarian cancer diagnosis, particularly in early detection of the disease.

Serum IGFBP4 levels in combination with miliary disease: A candidate predictor of ovarian cancer progression-free survival.

5079 Background: Insulin-like growth factor binding protein, IGFBP4, was shown to be highly expressed across all stages of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and serum levels are elevated in EOC. Moreover, IGFBP4 levels are ~3x greater in women with malignant pelvic masses. We investigated whether ascites volume and the presence of miliary disease in combination with serum levels of IGFBP4 are independent predictors of survival. Methods: A prospective and retrospective analysis was performed. Patients were enrolled at the time of cytoreductive surgery. Ascites volume was either absent, &lt;500 cc (low), or &gt;= 500 cc (high), and the presence of miliary disease was recorded. The IGFBP4 cutoff was 1064.5 ug/ml based upon previous results. The Kaplan-Meier product limit method was used to estimate PFS probabilities. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and corresponding 95% CI. Results: 57 cases were included in the analysis of ascites volume and miliary disease. Cytoreductive outcomes were complete gross resection (44.8%), optimal (&lt;=1cm residual disease; 44.8%), and suboptimal ( &gt;1cm residual disease; 10.3%). Histologic subtypes: papillary serous (n=35; 61.4%), mucinous (n=15; 26.3%), endometrioid (n=4; 7.0%), and clear cell (n=3; 5.3%). Stage distribution was 21.1% I/II, and 78.9% III/IV. PFS was unaffected by ascites volume (p=0.341) or miliary disease. Among this cohort, 29 had IGFBP4 levels available for a separate analysis. Patients with high IGFBP4 and miliary disease were 5.5 times as likely to recur compared with patients with miliary disease and low IGFBP4 (HR=5.55 [0.77, 39.82]), and the statistical significance was borderline (p&lt;0.088). No statistically significant differences were detected between rates of recurrence among patients with high and low IGFBP4 values in combination with ascites volume. Conclusions: These exploratory studies suggest that patients with high IGFBP4 serum levels and miliary disease were &gt; 5 times as likely to recur compared to women with miliary disease and low IGFBP4 levels. Future studies examining these variables using a larger population and examining the biologic basis of this relationship are planned.