Cytochrome P450CYP1B1 over-expression in primary and metastatic ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is the most frequent cause of death from gynaecological mali gnancies world wide. Little improvement has been made in the long-term outc ome of this disease, with the 5-year survival of patients only 30%. This po or prognosis is due to the late presentation of the disease and to the unpr edictable response of ovarian cancer to chemotherapy. The cytochrome P450 e nzymes are a superfamily of haemoproteins, known to be involved in the meta bolic activation and/or detoxification of a number of anti-cancer drugs. CY P1B1 is a tumour-related form of cytochrome P450 which is over expressed in a wide variety of primary tumours of different histological type. The pres ence of CYP1B1 may be of importance in the modulation of these tumours to a nti-cancer drugs. We have conducted a comprehensive immunohistochemical inv estigation, into the presence of cytochrome P450 CY1B1 in primary and metas tatic ovarian cancer. The key findings of this study are the increased expr ession of CYP1B1 in the majority of ovarian cancers investigated (92%). wit h a strong correlation demonstrated between CYP1B1 expression in both prima ry and metastatic ovarian cancer (P = 0.005 Spearman's rank correlation tes t). In contrast no detectable CYP1B1 was found in normal ovary. (C) 2001 Ca ncer Research Campaign.