NY-ESO-1 expression predicts an aggressive phenotype of ovarian cancer

This study is the first demonstration of an association between NY-ESO-1 expression and an aggressive cancer phenotype. The relatively high expression frequency of NY-ESO-1 in ovarian cancer patients coupled with the poor clinical outcomes in NY-ESO-1 + patients reveals an underappreciated need for targeted therapy against this antigen. In support, our study reveals that NY-ESO-1 + patients enrolled on immunotherapy trials targeting the antigen exhibited an improvement in OS.