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Background Despite numerous studies, no biological marker has been identified that accurately predicts prognosis of advanced ovarian cancer. Tumors from a homogeneous population of 117 patients with a stage III/IV ovarian cancer, enrolled in a multicenter prospective GINECO clinical trial were analyzed retrospectively. Patients and methods All patients received the same platinum-based combination therapy and were followed-up for a median of 68 months. Tumor expression of Ki67, BCL-2, BAX, P53 or c-erbB-2 proteins was evaluated immunohistochemically on paraffin-embedded tissues and their prognostic impact analyzed. Results The median rate of Ki67-positive nuclear area was 30%. BCL-2, BAX and P53 proteins were expressed in 52, 54 and 71% of the tumors, respectively, while HER-2 protein was overexpressed in 16%. Only HER-2 overexpression was significantly associated with shorter progression-free survival and overall survival. According to our multivariate analysis, the HER-2 prognostic impact was independent of classical clinical prognostic factors. Conclusion HER-2 appeared to influence the outcome of advanced ovarian cancer patients included in a clinical trial with prolonged follow-up, thereby suggesting that HER-2 is a potential target for treatment of this cancer.

Numerous grading systems have been proposed for invasive ovarian epithelial carcinoma. But, conflicting reports have been published addressing the value of grade as an independent prognostic factor.The present study investigated the consistency, reproducibility and prognostic value of four different grading systems in a series of 100 homogeneously treated (cytoreductive surgeryplatinum based chemotherapy) patient. All the slides were reviewed in a double-blind manner by 3 pathologists, typed according to the WHO and graded. Multivariate assessment of survival time was performed with the Cox model.Population parameters - mean age: 60 years, - stage (FIGO) IIIIV 85% - survival: 5 years OS: stage IIIIV=22,5%. No significant difference for survival was observed when the patients were classified with any of the 4 grades evaluated. Prognostic factors: age60 (p0,001), optimal surgery (p0,01), n+(p0,02), necrosis50% (p0,04), mitotic count15MF/10HPF (p0,03) and vascular invasion (p0,03). Those 3 parameters were assigned to a new highly relevant grade. At multivariate analysis, it was significantly associated with DFS and OS (p0,01).Our grade is simple, useful for all histologic types, non subjective and reproducible. Further studies are warranted to confirm its clinical utility.

To assess the characteristic features of ovarian carcinoma mucocellular secondary to breast cancer.A retrospective pathology evaluation of ovariectomy specimens was conducted to compare the histological types with the original pathology diagnosis of breast cancer.Ten cases of ovarian carcinoma mucocellular were observed. Histologically, the ovarian stroma presented voluminous mucin-containing vacuoles in epitheliomatous cells with peripheralized nuclei. In 7 out of 10 cases, the primary breast cancer was invasive lobular carcinoma.These pathology findings are in agreement with comparative studies on the metastatic behavior of different histological types of breast cancer: invasive lobular carcinoma differs from invasive ductal carcinoma by its tropism for gastrointestinal and internal genital organs.

We report a case of segmental defect of colonic muscularis propria revealed by perendoscopic perforation in a 64-year-old woman. Segmental absence of intestinal musculature is well documented in new-borns and infants and is more frequent in small bowel. It is characterized by localised absence of muscularis propria without fibrous scar. The remaining layers of the bowel wall are intact. The pathogenesis of this lesion is discussed.