High-grade Serous Carcinoma Occurring in a Serous Cystadenoma on the Background of a Serous Tubal Intraepithelial Carcinoma (STIC)-like Lesion: A Case Report With Literature Review

Abstract

At present, the prevailing concept is that high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) arises from the fallopian tubes (FTs). We report an HGSC case occurring in a serous ovarian cyst against the background of a serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma (STIC)-like lesion. We also provide a literature review that contains references to clinical cases of the occurrence of STIC-like lesions in the ovary and phylogenetic studies that do not always reveal obvious bonds between early dysplastic serous lesions and HGSC. The article discusses cases of association between HGSCs of serous borderline tumors (SBTs) and low-grade serous carcinomas (LGSCs) in the context of their possible histogenetic relationship. We propose a concept in which high-grade serous carcinogenesis, represented by the p53-signature–STIC–HGSC continuity, occurs in the serous epithelium of both the FT and other locations.