A Succinct Molecular Profile of High-Grade Ovarian Cancer

Abstract

Several studies have been carried out to determine the complexity of ovarian cancer as a disease with multiple distinct types that presents with symptoms similar to those in other gynaecological, gastrointestinal and genitourinary diseases. The malignant variants of common epithelial and germ cell tumours constitute the bulk of ovarian tumours and are classified histologically based on the presumed tissue of origin. Molecular diagnosis is now aiding in the early detection and treatment of ovarian cancer even before metastasis sets in. Thus studying the molecular profiles of each type is key to understanding the origin and pathogenesis as well as genetic aberrations and mutations involved in the development of the disease. Ovarian cancers originate either from the ovary or fallopian tube and are found majorly to harbour mutations in PTEN, KRAS, BRAF, BRCA1, BRCA2 and TP53, with TP53 mutations being the most frequent. Genetic testing for ovarian cancers involves testing for the aforementioned genes, and in the nearest future, an advanced method that would detect these genes in blood and uterine lavage is expected. There is an urgent need for further studies on the detailed mechanisms underlying the roles of mutant TP53 in ovarian cancer development and its potential role in therapeutic interventions.