POST-HYSTERECTOMY OVARIAN CANCER : HISTOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND A PREDICTION OF OCCURRENCE OF OVARIAN CANCER BY IMMUNOHISTOLOGICAL INSPECTIONS FOR SPECIMENS IN INITIAL OPERATIONS

Abstract Background : The prognosis of ovarian cancer is generally poor. To approach the onset of ovarian cancer, we investigated clinical characteristics and performed pathohistological examinations of organ specimens from ovarian cancer patients who had previously received hysterectomy. Materials and Methods : This study consisted of a clinical analysis of 192 ovarian cancer patients, of whom 22 had previously received a hysterectomy. Next, we chose three patients who had received hysterectomies for adenomyosis and myoma, and compared the expression of several markers (estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, Bcl-2, p53 and Ki-67) in their uterine and ovarian specimens. Results : The rate of endometrioid adenocarcinoma (40.9%, 9/22) in patients with ovarian cancers after hysterectomy was significantly higher than that in women without hysterectomy (13.5%, 23/170). Immunohistochemistry staining showed the expression of Bcl-2 in both uterine and ovarian specimens from a patient with endometrioid adenocarcinoma, but not from a patient with mucinous adenocarcinoma. Conclusion : In this study, endometrioid adenocarcinoma developed most frequently in patients who had previously undergone a hysterectomy. The onset of ovarian cancer could be predicted in the future by assessing specific marker levels.