p53 overexpression is associated with cytoreduction and response to chemotherapy in ovarian cancer

The aim of this study was to assess the association of p53 status with prim ary cytoreduction, response to chemotherapy and outcome in stage Ill-IV pri mary ovarian cancer patients. Immunohistochemical analysis of p53 was perfo rmed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens from 168 primary ovaria n carcinomas by using the DO-7 monoclonal antibody, p53 nuclear positivity was found in 84 out of 162 (52%) malignant tumours. A higher percentage of p53 nuclear positivity was observed in patients with advanced stage of dise ase than in stage I-II (57% vs 23% respectively; P = 0.0022) and in poorly differentiated Versus well/moderately differentiated tumours (59% vs 32% re spectively; P = 0.0038). The multivariate analysis aimed to investigate the association of FIGO stage, grade and p53 status with primary cytoreduction in 136 stage III-IV patients showed that stage IV disease may influence th e possibility to perform primary cytoreduction in ovarian cancer patients. p53-positivity also maintained a trend to be associated with poor chance of cytoreduction. In patients who underwent pathologic assessment of response , cases who did not respond to chemotherapy were much more frequently p53-p ositive than p53-negative (86% vs 14% respectively; P = 0.012). Moreover, p atients with stage ill disease and < 2-cm residual tumour were more likely to respond to treatment. In multivariate analysis, FIGO stage and p53 expre ssion were independently correlated with pathologic response to chemotherap y. Time to progression and survival rates were shown not to be different in p53-positive Versus p53-negative patients. (C)1999 Cancer Research Campaig n.