Prognostic significance of c-erB-2 mRNA in ovarian carcinoma.

The oncogene specific mRNA of c-erbB-2 was detected by the S1 nuclease protection assay in 95 ovarian cancer specimens. In 79 primary carcinomas, we found 16 (20%) with strong expression, 13 (17%) with weak expression, 4 (5%) with very weak expression, and 46 (58%) with no expression. In 3 of 16 recurrencies (19%) a strong expression of c-erbB-2 mRNA was detected, in 2 (12%) weak expression was detected, and in 11 (69%) no expression of c-erbB-2 mRNA was detected. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed no significant association between strong expression of c-erbB-2 mRNA and survival of the 79 patients with primary cancer. However, in the subgroup of patients with FIGO (International Federation of …