Epithelial Ovarian Cancer:  Disease Etiology, Treatment, Detection, and Investigational Gene, Metabolite, and Protein Biomarkers

Abstract

Cancer research in recent years has immensely benefited from the development of novel technologies that enable scientists to perform detailed investigations of genomes, transcriptomes, proteomes, and metabolomes. This has invariably furthered knowledge of tumorigenesis and etiology of cancer. The resulting information can, in the foreseeable future, effect a significant change in the pace of cancer research, thereby producing improvements in patient care. Ovarian cancer in particular has received the interest of the scientific community, being the most frequent cause of death from gynecological cancers, characterized by few early symptoms, diagnosis at an advanced stage, as well as poor prognosis. Ovarian cancer is a malignancy in which normal ovarian cells begin to grow in an uncontrolled, abnormal manner and produce tumors in one or both ovaries. Epithelial cancers, the most common ovarian cancers (>80%), develop from cells lining the ovarian surface. Most ovarian cancer research is primarily focused on the early detection and treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer, the more common ovarian malignancy. This review offers an introduction to ovarian cancer, with particular emphasis on human epithelial ovarian cancer. Current methods of detection and therapy are discussed. A survey of promising new protein, gene, and metabolite biomarkers on the horizon is provided. Future prospects for improved diagnosis are offered.

Downregulation of microRNA-630 inhibits cell proliferation and invasion and enhances chemosensitivity in human ovarian carcinoma

“…Despite great advances in chemotherapy and surgical treatment of ovarian cancer, 70-90% patients with ovarian cancer develop relapse or metastasis, and the 5-year survival rate of patients with advanced ovarian cancer with peritoneal metastasis remains at approximately 30% (Vaughan et al, 2011). Ovarian cancer patient suffer from poor prognosis, largely due to the aggressive metastasis in the peritoneal cavity and the emergence of drug resistance (Williams et al, 2007). Improved understanding of the mechanism involved in ovarian cancer metastasis and drug resistance is of great importance in overcoming this malignance.…”

Ganoderma lucidum exerts anti-tumor effects on ovarian cancer cells and enhances their sensitivity to cisplatin

“…The high mortality rate of EOC is mainly due to the late diagnosis and the lack of effective treatments for the late stages of the disease (14). The most effective treatment for EOC is surgery plus platinum-based chemotherapy, with drugs such as cisplatin.…”

Inhibition of Cell Invasion by Indole-3-Carbinol in OVCAR-3 Human Ovarian Cancer Cells

“…Most deaths from ovarian cancer are due to widespread intraperitoneal metastases and malignant ascites [11,40]. However, mechanisms of metastasis in ovarian cancer remain poorly understood.…”

“…Despite recent efforts in the search for molecular mechanisms responsible for the development of this cancer, the pathways important for the initiation and development of ovarian malignant transformation have remained elusive [40].…”