Patients with progressive
ovarian cancer who underwent a
remission-induction therapy in our department; intermittent
chemotherapy (IC) of CDDP was performed every 3 months, and good outcome has been obtained. However, ineffective cases are sporadically seen. As long-term prognostic factors influencing the IC, we studied
glutathione S-transferase-pi (GST-pi) and
silver-binding nucleolar organizer regions (
AgNORs), and examined their changes during CDDP
therapy immunohistologically to clarify their significance as long-term prognostic factors in CDDP
therapy. In 58 patients who underwent postoperative CDDP
therapy in the past 15 years, the prevalence of GST-pi was 79.3%, and the rate in the case of clear cell
carcinoma was significantly higher than that in the case of
serous cystadenocarcinoma. Among 37 patients with progressive
ovarian cancer, patients for whom
remission-induction was impossible, the prevalence of GST-pi expression and the number of NORs were significantly large. In the comparison between before and after the
remission-induction, elevation in the staining score of GST-pi was found in 83.3%, and an increase in NORs number was seen in 50%. On the other hand, in the patients who showed aggravation in the IC group, 5 patients underwent second look operation, and all of them showed elevation in the staining score of GST-pi and 4 of them showed increase in NORs number. Therefore, examination of GST-pi and the number of NORs wes considered to be useful in suggesting prognosis for progressive
ovarian cancer, particularly the case having IC.