Multidisciplinary Strategies in the Prevention and Early Detection of Ovarian Cancer
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is the fourth cause of death from all cancers among American women and ranks the highest among deaths from gynecologic malignancies Although the cure rate with stage I ovarian cancer approaches 90%, two-third of patients are diagnosed with advanced intraperitoneal metastatic disease, with five year survival rate of 15 to 20%. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to identify a marker(s) for early diagnosis of the disease. However, it has been rare to identify Stage I disease and to see transition within a malignant tumor from benign to malignant epithelium which might help us to identify early genetic changes during ovarian cancer development. Recent histologic studies on prophylactic ovaries from high-risk individuals showed the presence of microscopic premalignant and malignant epithelia suggesting that they may create an identifiable milieu from which common epithelial tumors of the ovary will mostly likely arise. Molecular genetic study on these microscopic malignant epithelia would provide us with early genetic events during ovarian cancer development.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA412835
Entities
People
- Samuel C. Mok
Organizations
- Brigham and Women's Hospital