The application of WT1 and P53/Ki-67 to predict the recurrence of epithelial ovarian cancer

Purpose: To evaluate the ability of WT1 alone, and in combination with P53/Ki-67, to predict recurrence in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).Methods: In this retrospective study, we performed immunohistochemistry on surgical specimens acquired from 137 patients with EOC. We analyzed the sensitivity of WT1 alone, and in combination with P53 and Ki-67, to predict the recurrence of EOC by applying Chi-squared and layered Chi-squared tests. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to predict progression-free survival(PFS).Results: The proportion of WT1-positive patients in the recurrent group (80.4%) was significantly higher than that in the non-recurrent group (60.4%; P=0.019). In stratified cohort analysis, the recurrence rate of WT1-positive patients was significantly higher than that of WT1-negative patients in the P53-positive group (P=0.034); similar results were obtained for the group with Ki-67 index >30% (P=0.026). Kaplan–Meier curves showed that WT1-negative patients presented with a significantly longer PFS than WT1-positive patients in the P53(P=0.006) and Ki-67(P=0.016) positive groups.Conclusion: A high level of WT1 is a potent predictor of recurrence for EOC. Our analyses showed that the predictive ability of WT1 was more sensitive when combined with P53/Ki-67. Monitoring the levels of WT1 could have significant therapeutic implications for patients with EOC.