Introduction To identify immunohistochemistry markers associated with progression-free or overall survival in patients with ovarian cancer having received intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

Methods By retrospective medical record review, 24 patients with newly diagnosed, stage 3 or 4, high grade serous ovarian cancer having received intraperitoneal chemotherapy more than 3 cycles in Yonsei cancer center from 1990 to 2013 were identified. Immunohistochemical staining of tumor tissue for CD8, FOXP3, PDL1, E-cad and vimentin was performed. The level of expression was measured using established protocols of each marker and was dichotomized (high vs. low) using median value. The association of level of expression of each marker with progression-free or overall survival were examined.

Results The mean age was 61.5 years (range 48 to 79) and 23 patients were stage 3. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 458 days (range 13 to 4450) and that of overall survival (OS) was 1900 days (range 13 to 4890+). None of 5 markers were associated with progression-free survival (PFS). However, CD8 (p=0.2) and vimentin (p=0.1) were marginally associated with overall survival (OS). Patients with high expression of CD8 or vimentin had numerically longer PFS than those with low expression in both CD8 and vimentin (median 592d vs 390d, p=0.073). Additionally, patients with high expression of CD8 or vimentin had significantly longer OS than those with low expression in both CD8 and vimentin (median 2834d vs 761d, p=0.008).

Conclusion/Implications CD8 and vimentin expression was associated with overall survival in patients with ovarian cancer having received intraperitoneal chemotherapy.