(1) General data analysis
In total, 174 cases of clear cell carcinoma and endometrioid carcinoma of the ovary were included, including 74 in the EAOC and 100 in the non-EAOC group. Analysis of epidemiological data revealed lower average age and proportion of menopause of patients in the EAOC group than the non-EAOC group (P < 0.05). No significant differences in BMI, dysmenorrhea history, menopausal age, surgical history, and complications were observed between the two groups (all P > 0.05), as shown in Table 1.
Table 1
Comparative analysis of the epidemiological data of EAOC and non-EAOC patients (n,x ± s)
Characteristics
|
EAOC
|
Non-EAOC
|
P
|
74
|
100
|
Age(year)
|
49.4 ± 7.7
|
54.0 ± 10.0
|
0.001
|
BMI
|
23.6 ± 3.3
|
23.5 ± 3.7
|
0.731
|
History of menstrual
|
|
|
0.064
|
Yes
|
29
|
26
|
|
No
|
55
|
74
|
|
Postmenopausal status
|
|
|
0.001
|
Yes
|
32
|
68
|
|
No
|
42
|
32
|
|
Age of menopause
|
49.1 ± 4.3
|
49.3 ± 3.9
|
0.815
|
History of surgery
|
|
|
0.115
|
Yes
|
19
|
16
|
|
No
|
65
|
84
|
|
Complications
|
|
|
0.683
|
Yes
|
31
|
45
|
|
No
|
43
|
55
|
|
Further intra-group and inter-group analyses of the same pathological types showed significantly lower average age of onset and proportion of menopause in the EOCC than OCC group (P < 0.05). We observed no marked differences in the remaining parameters between the groups (P > 0.05; Table 2).
Table 2
Intra-group and inter-group analyses of EAOC and non-EAOC patients (n,x ± s)
Characteristics
|
EOEC
|
EOCC
|
OEC
|
OCC
|
P
|
35
|
39
|
65
|
35
|
Age(year)
|
50.6 ± 8.4
|
48.2 ± 6.7
|
54.3 ± 10.7
|
53.3 ± 8.6
|
0.177a/0.060b/<0.01c
|
BMI
|
23.9 ± 2.9
|
23.3 ± 3.6
|
23.7 ± 3.8
|
22.8 ± 3.1
|
0.430a/0.782b/0.570c
|
History of menstrual
|
|
|
|
|
0.076a/0.667b/0.075c
|
Yes
|
10
|
19
|
16
|
10
|
|
No
|
25
|
20
|
49
|
25
|
|
Postmenopausal status
|
|
|
|
|
0.178a/0.199b/<0.01c
|
Yes
|
18
|
14
|
42
|
26
|
|
No
|
17
|
25
|
23
|
9
|
|
Age of menopause
|
48.8 ± 4.7
|
49.2 ± 3.8
|
49.9 ± 4.1
|
48.2 ± 3.2
|
0.802a/0.408b/0.363c
|
History of surgery
|
|
|
|
|
0.599a/0.106b/0.810c
|
Yes
|
8
|
11
|
7
|
9
|
|
No
|
27
|
28
|
58
|
26
|
|
Complications
|
|
|
|
|
0.528a/0.916b/0.892c
|
Yes
|
16
|
15
|
29
|
14
|
|
No
|
19
|
24
|
36
|
21
|
|
a:EOEC vs. EOCC, b:EOEC vs. OEC, c:EOCC vs. OCC. |
(2) Analysis of clinical features
No significant differences were evident between the two groups in terms of tumor size, tumor side, ascites, CA125, HE4, and CA199 levels (all P > 0.05). The collective data are presented in Table 3.
Table 3
Comparative analysis of clinical features of EAOC and non-EAOC patients (n,x ± s)
Characteristics
|
EAOC
|
Non-EAOC
|
P
|
74
|
100
|
Ascites
|
|
|
0.666
|
Yes
|
39
|
56
|
|
No
|
35
|
44
|
|
Tumor size
|
|
|
0.769
|
≥ 10cm
|
45
|
63
|
|
༜10cm
|
29
|
37
|
|
Tumor side
|
|
|
0.355
|
Unilateral
|
53
|
65
|
|
Bilateral
|
21
|
35
|
|
Biomaker
|
|
|
|
CA125(U/ml)
|
448.9 ± 980.0
|
739.8 ± 1141.4
|
0.080
|
HE4(pmol/L)
|
203.4 ± 240.0
|
264.5 ± 217.5
|
0.620
|
CA199(U/ml)
|
194.0 ± 460.4
|
274.2 ± 546.7
|
0.465
|
Further intra-group and inter-group analyses disclosed significantly higher incidence of bilateral tumors in the EOEC than EOCC group (40.0% vs 17.9%, P < 0.05). Moreover, the HE4 level in the EOEC group was higher than that in the EOCC group to a significant extent (355.4 vs 89.4 pmol/L, P < 0.05). No significant differences were found in the remaining parameters (Table 4). tumor size, tumor side;Ascites;FIGO staging.Histological classification
(3)Pathological characteristics
Pathological characteristics were comparable between the two groups in terms of FIGO stage, differentiation degree, ER, PR, P53, P16, Ki67, MMR, hnf-1, and Napsin A-positive expression (all P > 0.05; Table 5, Fig. 1).
TABL 4 Intra-group and inter-group clinical features analyses of EAOC and non-EAOC patients (n,x±s)
Characteristics
|
EOEC
|
EOCC
|
OEC
|
OCC
|
P
|
35
|
39
|
65
|
35
|
Ascites
|
|
|
|
|
0.469a/0.295b/0.209c
|
Yes
|
20
|
19
|
44
|
12
|
|
No
|
15
|
20
|
21
|
23
|
|
Tumor size
|
|
|
|
|
0.892a/0.881b/0.363c
|
≥10cm
|
21
|
24
|
38
|
25
|
|
<10cm
|
14
|
15
|
27
|
10
|
|
Tumor side
|
|
|
|
|
0.036a/0.303b/0.316c
|
Unilateral
|
21
|
32
|
33
|
32
|
|
Bilateral
|
14
|
7
|
32
|
3
|
|
Biomaker
|
|
|
|
|
|
CA125(U/ml)
|
618.0±1309.8
|
297.0±509.6
|
870.3±895.0
|
493.7±1479.0
|
0.161a/0.255b/0.437c
|
HE4(pmol/L)
|
355.4±319.5
|
89.4±69.1
|
498.9±547.0
|
132.7±259.0
|
0.039a/0.575b/0.651c
|
CA199(U/ml)
|
248.1±525.4
|
160.6±423.0
|
276.9±586.0
|
220.5±547.0
|
0.556a/0.877b/0.663c
|
a:EOEC vs. EOCC, b:EOEC vs. OEC, c:EOCC vs. OCC.
Table 5
Comparative analysis of pathological characteristics of EAOC and non-EAOC patients(n,%)
Characteristics
|
EAOC
|
Non-EAOC
|
P
|
74
|
100
|
FIGO stage
|
|
|
0.417
|
I/II
|
51
|
63
|
|
III/IV
|
23
|
37
|
|
Differentiation
|
|
|
0.932
|
Low
|
18
|
21
|
|
Middle
|
34
|
52
|
|
High
|
22
|
27
|
|
Biomarker
|
|
|
|
ER(+)
|
32
|
52
|
0.253
|
PR(+)
|
24
|
45
|
0.094
|
P53(+)
|
59
|
68
|
0.085
|
P16(+)
|
41
|
54
|
0.854
|
MMR(-)
|
19
|
37
|
0.114
|
Ki67(%)
|
30.0 ± 18.0
|
30.8 ± 18.94
|
0.767
|
Napsin A(+)
|
18
|
37
|
0.075
|
HNF-1β(+)
|
15
|
31
|
0.113
|
The rates of ER and PR positivity in the EOEC group were significantly higher than those in the EOCC group (71.4% vs. 17.9%, 60.0% vs. 7.7%; P < 0.05). Conversely, the rates of HNF-1 and Napsin A positivity in the EOCC group were significantly higher relative to the EOEC group (28.2% vs. 20.0%, 30.8% vs. 7.7%; P < 0.05). HNF-1 and Napsin A positive rates in the OCC group were significantly higher than those in the OEC group (74.2% vs. 16.9%, 80.0% vs. 4.6%; P < 0.05), as shown in Table 6.
Table 6
Intra-group and inter-group pathological characteristics of EAOC and non-EAOC patients(n,%)
Characteristics
|
EOEC
|
EOCC
|
OEC
|
OCC
|
P
|
35
|
39
|
65
|
35
|
FIGO stage
|
|
|
|
|
|
I/II
|
21
|
30
|
37
|
26
|
0.116a/0.767b/0.792c
|
III/IV
|
14
|
9
|
28
|
9
|
|
Differentiation
|
|
|
|
|
|
Low
|
11
|
7
|
18
|
3
|
0.177a/0.695b/0.239c
|
Middle
|
17
|
17
|
40
|
12
|
|
High
|
7
|
15
|
7
|
20
|
|
Biomarker
|
|
|
|
|
|
ER(+)
|
25
|
7
|
49
|
3
|
< 0.01a/0.667b/0.311c
|
PR(+)
|
21
|
3
|
40
|
5
|
< 0.01a/0.880b/0.635c
|
P53(+)
|
29
|
30
|
43
|
25
|
0.526a/0.076b/0.589c
|
P16(+)
|
16
|
25
|
32
|
22
|
0.112a/0.710b/0.912c
|
MMR(-)
|
8
|
11
|
22
|
15
|
0.072a/0.548b/0.291c
|
Ki67(%)
|
29.1 ± 20
|
30.7 ± 14
|
29.6 ± 19
|
33.0 ± 16.5
|
0.718a/0.907b/0.564c
|
Napsin A(+)
|
7
|
11
|
11
|
26
|
< 0.01a/0.459b/0.230c
|
HNF-1β(+)
|
3
|
12
|
3
|
28
|
< 0.01a/0.317b/0.273c
|
a:EOEC vs. EOCC, b:EOEC vs. OEC, c:EOCC vs. OCC. |
(4) Prognostic characteristics
Overall, 74 patients in the EAOC group were subjected to initial analyses, 64 of whom were followed up (follow-up rate of 86.5%). Rates of platinum therapy resistance, recurrence and mortality were determined as 6.25%, 39.1%, and 28.1%, respectively. Among the 100 patients in the non-EAOC group, 85 were followed up (85.0%). The platinum resistance rate was determined as 9.41%, recurrence rate as 54.1%, and mortality rate as 40.0%, which were not significantly different between the two groups (all P > 0.05; Table 7).
Table 7
Prognosis comparison between EAOC and non-EAOC patients(n)
Characteristics
|
EAOC
|
non-EAOC
|
P
|
74
|
100
|
Platinum resistance
|
4
|
8
|
0.483
|
Relapse
|
25
|
39
|
0.405
|
Death
|
19
|
34
|
0.193
|
Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test showed that the average overall survival (OS) of the EAOC group was 91.6 months (95% CI: 76.9–106.5 months) while that of the non-EAOC group was 77.8 months (95% CI: 66.1–90.0 months), with no significant differences (P = 0.068, > 0.05). The median progression-free survival (PFS) of the EAOC group was 78.4 months (95% CI: 62.2–94.5 months), which was not significantly different from the non-EAOC group (64.0 months; 95% CI: 50.7–77.1 months) (P = 0.216, > 0.05), as shown in Fig. 2.
Intra-group and inter-group analyses of the same pathological types via Kaplan-Meier and log-rank tests showed that OS of the EOCC group was 90.8 months (95% CI, 69.9–111.8 months), EOEC group was 96.8 months (95% CI, 76.8–116.8 months), OCC group was 77.4 months (95% CI, 51.49–103.30 months), and OEC group was 81.10 months (95% CI, 68.0–94.2 months). We observed no significant differences in OS in EOCC vs. EOEC, EOCC vs. OCC, and EOEC vs. OEC groups (P = 0.290, 0.262, 0.070, all P > 0.05). PFS of patients in the EOCC group was 80.9 months (95% CI, 61.2–100.6 months), EOEC group was 82.3 months (95% CI 59.4–105.2 months), OCC group was 85.9 months (95% CI 68.4–108.3 months), and OEC group was 60.0 months (95% CI 45.50–74.6 months). We observed no significant differences in PFS in EOCC vs EOEC, EOCC vs OCC, and EOEC vs OEC groups (P = 0.222, 0.675, 0.071, all P > 0.05; Fig. 3).