BACKGROUND

Platinum resistance in cancer cells plays an important role in the recurrence and progression of high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC). Advanced or recurrent HGSC often presents with substantial ascites fluid retention.

AIMS

To demonstrate that ascites fluid sampling could help evaluate the predictive markers for platinum resistance or sensitivity in peritoneal lesions of HGSC, we compared the expression of platinum response markers of cancer cells in ascites fluid with that in peritoneal lesions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty samples from 10 HGSC patients were collected, including formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens obtained from peritoneal lesions and primary ovarian lesions, and cell block specimens obtained from ascites fluid. The morphology of the cancer cells was evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin staining. The expression of predictive markers for platinum response in cancer cells was evaluated by immunohistochemistry for excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) and Schlafen 11 (SLFN11).

RESULTS

The morphology of cancer cells in cell blocks (CBs) was similar to that in peritoneal and primary lesions. The expression of ERCC1 and SLFN11 in cancer cells in CBs was positively correlated with that in peritoneal lesions. These results indicated that CBs of ascites fluid would be useful for evaluating the expression of predictive markers for platinum resistance and sensitivity.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that HGSC cells in ascites fluid may reflect the expression of predictive markers for platinum resistance or sensitivity in cancer cells in peritoneal metastatic lesions.