Ovarian Carcinoma Subtypes Are Different Diseases
Author Information
Author(s): Köbel Martin, Kalloger Steve E, Boyd Niki, McKinney Steven, Mehl Erika, Palmer Chana, Leung Samuel, Bowen Nathan J, Ionescu Diana N, Rajput Ashish, Prentice Leah M, Miller Dianne, Santos Jennifer, Swenerton Kenneth, Gilks C. Blake, Huntsman David
Primary Institution: Genetic Pathology Evaluation Centre of the Prostate Research Centre, Department of Pathology, Vancouver General Hospital and British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Hypothesis
Correlations between biomarker expression and stage at diagnosis or prognosis would reflect subtype variation in biomarker expression.
Conclusion
Ovarian carcinoma subtypes are different diseases, and these differences should be reflected in clinical research study design and ultimately in the management of ovarian carcinoma.
Supporting Evidence
- 20 of the 21 biomarkers were significantly differentially expressed between the subtypes.
- Nine of the 21 biomarkers are prognostic indicators in the entire cohort.
- WT1 is an unfavourable prognostic marker in the entire cohort but a favourable marker within the high-grade serous subtype.
Takeaway
Different types of ovarian cancer behave very differently, so doctors need to treat each type separately to find the best treatments.
Methodology
The study assessed the protein expression of 21 candidate biomarkers in a cohort of 500 ovarian carcinomas collected from 1984 to 2000.
Potential Biases
The selection of biomarkers may have biased results towards those derived from high-grade serous subtype.
Limitations
The study is retrospective and may not adhere to the strict definition of a prognostic marker due to the high percentage of patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy.
Participant Demographics
The study population consisted of 500 ovarian carcinoma cases from British Columbia, Canada, collected over a period of 16 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p = 0.0017
Confidence Interval
95% CI 1.2%–2.4%
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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