Androgen receptor expression is a biological marker for androgen sensitivity in high grade serous epithelial ovarian cancer

Highlights

► Androgen receptor expression correlates with androgen sensitivity in ovarian cancer.
► Androgen receptor expression decreases with chemotherapy.
► Androgen receptor expression is a biomarker for androgen therapy in ovarian cancer.

Abstract/full free access | Increased androgen receptor expression in serous carcinoma of the ovary is associated with an improved survival

Background

Altered androgen hormone homeostasis and androgen receptor (AR) activity have been implicated in ovarian carcinogenesis but the relationship between AR expression in ovarian cancer and clinical outcome remains unclear.

 Conclusions

AR expression is considerably reduced in EOC as compared to fallopian tubes, and in EOC of the serous subtype, high AR expression is a favourable prognostic factor. These results indicate that assessment of AR expression might be of value for treatment stratification of EOC patients with serous ovarian carcinoma.

"While several immunohistochemistry (IHC)-based studies have confirmed widespread AR (androgen receptor)expression in EOC, data describing it as a prognostic biomarker are relatively sparse. One study describing a large series of tumors (n=322), found no association between AR protein expression and clinical outcome, however individual histological subtypes were not examined. Increased levels of AR mRNA
have been described in cells from normal ovarian surface epithelium as compared to ovarian cancer cells, the majority of which were derived from serous tumors. We are, however, unaware of any studies describing AR expression in fallopian tubes, from which a substantial but not yet not fully appreciated proportion of serous ovarian carcinomas are thought to arise.."