Overexpression of c‐erbB‐2 in epithelial ovarian cancer. Prognostic value and relationship with response to chemotherapy

Abstract

Background. Overexpression of the c‐erbB‐2 protein has been reported in tumors from approximately 25% of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. However, its clinical significance has not been well established. Methods. Overexpression of the c‐erbB‐2 protein was studied by immunohistochemistry in paraffin‐embedded tumor tissue from 106 patients with ovarian cancer. Results. Tumors from 23 patients (21.7%) had c‐erbB‐2 overexpression. The percentage of tumors with overexpression was higher in those with Stages III/IV disease (29.2%) compared with those with Stages I/II disease (5.9%) (P = 0.057), in patients with residual tumor greater than 2 cm after initial surgery (37.2%) compared with those with tumor less than 2 cm (9.5%) (P = 0.01), and in patients who failed to respond to chemotherapy with carboplatin and cyclophosphamide (75%) compared with those who responded (18.6%) (P = 0.0043). No correlation was found between c‐erbB‐2 expression with age, the degree of differentiation, or the histologic subtype. Median survival of the 23 patients with protein overexpression was 62 weeks, whereas 75% of the 83 patients without overexpression were alive at 123 weeks (P = 0.0000). Of the patients with advanced stage disease (III/ IV), survival was also lower in those presenting with overexpression (60 weeks) compared with those without expression (75% alive at 93 weeks) (P = 0.0000). Multivariate analysis of possible prognostic factors showed that c‐erbB‐2 overexpression and residual tumor greater than 2 cm resulted in a worsening of survival rates. Conclusion. c‐erbB‐2 overexpression in tumors from patients with ovarian cancer resulted in a poorer prognosis than for patients whose tumors did not have overexpression. Copyright © 1995 American Cancer Society