Objective: In cell line studies, BCL-2 and BAX proteins interfere with cancer response to taxanes. This issue has not received much attention with regard to taxane-platinum (TP)-treated ovarian cancer patients.
Methods: We evaluated prognostic/predictive significance of BCL-2 and BAX with regard to TP53 status. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed on 199 ovarian carcinomas FIGO stage IIB-IV treated with TP; the results were analyzed by the Cox and logistic regression models.
Results: Clinicopathological parameters (residual tumor size, FIGO stage and/or tumor grade, but not patient's age) were the only or the strongest predictors of patient's outcome. Platinum highly sensitive response showed a positive association with TP53 accumulation (p=0.045). As in our previously published analysis on platinum-cyclophosphamide-treated group, complete remission showed a borderline negative (paradoxic) association with high BAX expression in the whole group (p=0.058) and with BCL-2 expression in the TP53(-) group (p=0.058).
Conclusion: Our results suggest that TP53, BCL-2 and BAX proteins carry some predictive potential in taxane-platinum-treated ovarian cancer patients, auxiliary to clinicopathological factors. We have confirmed on another patient group that clinical importance of BCL-2 may depend on TP53 status.