Expression of the c-Met in advanced epithelial ovarian cancer and its prognostic significance

Int J Gynecol Cancer. 2005 Jul-Aug;15(4):618-23. doi: 10.1111/j.1525-1438.2005.00117.x.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic significance of c-Met expression in advanced cases of epithelial ovarian carcinoma. Paraffin-embedded tissues from 41 stage IIIC primary ovarian adenocarcinoma were stained immunohistochemically for c-Met expression. The expression of c-Met was correlated with conventional clinicopathologic parameters and with overall survival of the patients. c-Met expression was found in 60.9% of cases. This clinicopathologic study showed that epithelial ovarian carcinomas with c-Met expression had higher histologic tumor grade and were more frequently associated with para-aortic lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, c-Met expression remained as a statistically significant predictor for survival with histologic grade. The patients with stage IIIC epithelial ovarian cancers whose tumors expressed c-Met were more likely to have high-grade tumors, have more para-aortic lymph node involvement, and have a significantly worse overall survival than those whose tumors were c-Met negative. In conclusion, c-Met expression might be a potential prognostic marker for patients with advanced-stage epithelial ovarian cancers.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / genetics*
  • Adenocarcinoma / metabolism
  • Adenocarcinoma / pathology
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / analysis*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Profiling*
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Middle Aged
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / pathology
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Prognosis
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met / biosynthesis*
  • Survival Analysis

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met