Expression of focal adhesion kinase (pp125FAK) in patients with ovarian cancer: a clinicopathologic study

Purpose:

Pp125 focal adhesion kinase (FAK) plays a pivotal role in tumor cell signaling and has become clinically relevant for the prognosis of patients with solid tumors. FAK expression has been linked to tumor cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis, but data on ovarian cancer are inconclusive. Our goal was to investigate FAK expression in ovarian cancer and to assess whether its expression correlates with prognosis.

Material and methods:

FAK expression was determined using immunohistochemistry with sections from 135 resected ovarian cancer specimens. Surgeries were performed between January 2010 and December 2017. Date were retrospectively analyzed using the German ODSeasy cancer registry of the Hospital as well as patient records. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were calculated to determine the prognostic value of FAK expression. The study is ongoing.

Results:

We present survival data of our patient cohort according to FIGO stage and our follow up data. Specific FAK expression was found in the tumor cells, whereas normal epithelium showed barely any FAK expression. Levels of specific FAK expression in tumor cells will be demonstrated. Kaplan-Meier survival curves will be presented to determine the prognostic role of FAK expression in ovarian cancer. Furthermore, multivariate Cox regression analysis will be performed to detect independent factors predictive of disease outcome. Correlations between FAK expression and histopathologic parameters will be presented.

Summary:

Analysis of specific FAK expression in patients with ovarian cancer might become a suitable tool stratifying patients at different risks of disease progress. FAK has become a new potential molecular target in anticancer therapy.