Etiology and pathogenesis of epithelial ovarian cancer

Issue title: BIOMARKERS IN OVARIAN DISEASE

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Mok, Samuel C.^; | Kwong, Joseph | Welch, William R. | Samimi, Goli^; | Ozbun, Laurent | Bonome, Tomas | Birrer, Michael J. | Berkowitz, Ross S.^; | Wong, Kwong-Kwok

Affiliations: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Laboratory of Gynecologic Oncology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA | Gillette Center For Women's Cancer, Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, Boston, MA 02115, USA | Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 USA | Cell and Cancer Biology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA | Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program, Office of Preventative Oncology, Division of Cancer Prevention, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA | Department of Gynecologic Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA

Note: [] Corresponding author: Samuel C. Mok, Laboratory of Gynecologic Oncology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, BLI-447, 221 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Tel.: +1 617 278 1096; Fax: +1 617 9750818; E-mail: scmok@rics.bwh.harvard.edu

Abstract: Ovarian cancer is complex disease composed of different histological grades and types. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in the development of different phenotypes remain largely unknown. Epidemiological studies identified multiple exogenous and endogenous risk factors for ovarian cancer development. Among them, an inflammatory stromal microenvironment seems to play a critical role in the initiation of the disease. The interaction between such a microenvironment, genetic polymorphisms, and different epithelial components such as endosalpingiosis, endometriosis, and ovarian inclusion cyst in the ovarian cortex may induce different genetic changes identified in the epithelial component of different histological types of ovarian tumors. Genetic studies on different histological grades and types provide insight into the pathogenetic pathways for the development of different disease phenotypes. However, the link between all these genetic changes and the etiological factors remains to be established.

Keywords: Ovarian cancer, microenvironment, inflammation, pathogenesis

Journal: Disease Markers, vol. 23, no. 5-6, pp. 367-376, 2007