Cell proliferation and apoptosis in BRCA-associated hereditary ovarian cancer.

Objective: The goal was to test the hypothesis that cellular growth properties differ between hereditary and sporadic ovarian cancers.

Methods: Cell proliferation and apoptosis were assessed in 67 tumors associated with deleterious germline BRCA mutations (hereditary) and 69 tumors without BRCA mutations (sporadic). Cell proliferation was evaluated by immunohistochemical analysis of Ki-67 expression, and apoptosis was assessed using a TUNEL assay.