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. 2010 Jan;115(1):49-54.
doi: 10.1097/AOG.0b013e3181c2d294.

High poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase expression and poor survival in advanced-stage serous ovarian cancer

Jason C Barnett  1 , Sarah M Bean, John M Nakayama, Eiji Kondoh, Susan K Murphy, Andrew Berchuck
Affiliations

High poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase expression and poor survival in advanced-stage serous ovarian cancer

Jason C Barnett et al. Obstet Gynecol. 2010 Jan.

Abstract

Objective: To estimate the range of poly(adenosine diphosphate [ADP]-ribose) polymerase expression in serous ovarian cancers and to determine whether expression is associated with response to therapy and outcome.

Methods: Immunostaining for poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase was performed in 186 paraffin-embedded, serous ovarian cancers. Nuclear poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase expression was quantified using a scoring system that assesses both staining intensity and percentage of cells staining. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase expression and overall survival.

Results: High poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase expression was present in 54% of serous cancers but was not associated with stage or grade. There was no difference in the rate of complete clinical response to primary chemotherapy between cases with low poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase expression (70%) compared with those with high poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase expression (71%). However, high poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase expression was associated with significantly worse median overall survival (36 compared with 43 months, P=.04, hazard ratio 0.71).

Conclusion: Expression of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase in ovarian cancers is heterogeneous, and high expression in serous ovarian cancers is associated with worse overall survival. These data suggest that evaluation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase expression in the primary cancer could potentially allow selective use of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors in patients most likely to respond.

Level of evidence: III.

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