KI-67 IMMUNOSTAINING AND DNA FLOW-CYTOMETRY AS PROGNOSTIC FACTORS IN EPITHELIAL OVARIAN CANCERS

Samples from malignant epithelial ovarian rumors were examined for exp ression of Ki-67, DNA ploidy and S-phase fraction (SPF). In addition, normal ovary, benign and borderline tumors were immunostained with Ki- 67 to examine its role in ovarian carcinogenesis and to estimate the p rognostic significance. For both Ki-67, ploidy and SFP a significant c orrelation to survival in malignancy was observed. Furthermore, SPF ab ove 10% showed significant correlation to decreased survival in both s tage subgroups I-II and III-IV, while for aneuploidy a decrease in sur vival could be detected only in localized disease. Ki-67 expression wa s present in tumor cells in the main part of borderline and malignant tumors and even in 2 benign counterparts, which might indicate an acti ve state in these commonly believed dormant neoplasms. In the malignan t group the Ki-67 correlation to survival seemed to be independent of staining intensity, although the observed decay in survival seemed to be faster in the strongly stained group.