Association of hormone receptor-based pathological features with prognosis in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma: a retrospective cohort study and nomogram construction

High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC) causes high mortality rates worldwide due to its insidious onset and poor prognosis. The statuses of hormone receptors (ER/PR) have been shown to have significant prognostic value in hormone-related tumors such as breast cancer, but their roles in HGSC remain unclear. This study retrospectively analyzed the relationship between estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) expression status, clinical features, and survival outcomes in 176 patients with HGSC. Kaplan-Meier analysis and univariate and multivariate Cox regression were used to identify prognostic factors. Propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to control for confounding, and a nomogram incorporating ER/PR status and other independent prognostic factors was developed. Internal validation was performed using repeated stratified 5-fold cross-validation and 1,000-bootstrap resampling. ER/PR expression status was significantly associated with survival. The ER(+)/PR(+) group had the best prognosis, whereas the double-negative group had the worst. Combined ER/PR expression remained an independent prognostic factor in multivariate analysis (HR = 11.610, 95% CI: 6.225–21.653). The nomogram showed good predictive performance for 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS, with favorable discrimination and calibration in internal validation. Combined ER/PR expression status is an independent prognostic factor in HGSC. A nomogram integrating ER/PR status with clinicopathological variables may provide a practical tool for individualized risk assessment.