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The heterogeneity of epithelial ovarian cancers: reconciling old and new paradigms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 May 2007

Honami Naora
Honami Naora
Affiliation:
University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Molecular Therapeutics, Unit 950, 7435 Fannin Street, South Campus Research Building II, Room 3.2028, Houston, TX 77054, USA. Tel: +1 713 563 4222; Fax: +1 713 563 4235; E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Epithelial ovarian cancer comprises several subtypes of tumours that exhibit diverse histopathological features. The intriguing assumption by many epithelial ovarian cancers of specialised features of nonovarian tissue lineages has promoted considerable debate as to whether these tumours arise from the deceptively simple surface epithelium of the ovary. This review focuses on recent molecular and pathological studies of epithelial ovarian cancers that support and challenge their surface-epithelial derivation, and discusses the findings in the context of current views of the ‘cell-of-origin’ of solid tumours.

Type
Research Article
Information
Expert Reviews in Molecular Medicine , Volume 9 , Issue 13 , May 2007 , pp. 1 - 12
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

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Further reading, resources and contacts

Information on screening and treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer, including clinical trials, can be found at:

Auersperg, N. et al. (2001) Ovarian surface epithelium: biology, endocrinology, and pathology. Endocr Rev 22, 255-288Google ScholarPubMed
Cheng, W. et al. (2005) Lineage infidelity of epithelial ovarian cancers is controlled by HOX genes that specify regional identity in the reproductive tract. Nat Med 11, 531-537Google Scholar
Dubeau, L. (1999) The cell of origin of ovarian epithelial tumors and the ovarian surface epithelium dogma: does the emperor have no clothes? Gynecol Oncol 72, 437-442Google Scholar
Crum, C.P. et al. (2007) The distal fallopian tube: a new model for pelvic serous carcinogenesis. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol 19, 3-9CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/ovarian Google Scholar
http://emice.nci.nih.gov/emice/mouse_models/organ_models/ovarian_modelsGoogle Scholar
Auersperg, N. et al. (2001) Ovarian surface epithelium: biology, endocrinology, and pathology. Endocr Rev 22, 255-288Google ScholarPubMed
Cheng, W. et al. (2005) Lineage infidelity of epithelial ovarian cancers is controlled by HOX genes that specify regional identity in the reproductive tract. Nat Med 11, 531-537Google Scholar
Dubeau, L. (1999) The cell of origin of ovarian epithelial tumors and the ovarian surface epithelium dogma: does the emperor have no clothes? Gynecol Oncol 72, 437-442Google Scholar
Crum, C.P. et al. (2007) The distal fallopian tube: a new model for pelvic serous carcinogenesis. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol 19, 3-9CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/ovarian Google Scholar
http://emice.nci.nih.gov/emice/mouse_models/organ_models/ovarian_modelsGoogle Scholar