New frontiers in ovarian cancer diagnosis and management.
Ovarian carcinoma is now the leading cause of death among women. Surgery has reached its limits, and further aggressive surgery will result in an inordinate morbidity and mortality. Ovarian carcinoma is ideally treated by complete surgical removal of the cancer, followed by anti-cancer chemotherapy. Since it is often impossible to remove all of the cancer, adjunctive chemotherapy is playing an increasingly important role in the management of the cancer. New anti-cancer drugs must be found or synthesized, and new combinations of current anti-cancer drugs with mechanisms to protect the bone marrow must be explored. The field of genetics and the identification of the patient at high risk because of a familial history of ovarian cancer must be expanded. The role of tumor markers and oncogenes requires more in-depth study so that these signs can play a greater role in monitoring and identifying the patient with early ovarian cancer. The emerging fields of genetic engineering and biologic response modifiers are opening up new avenues for additional modalities of therapy. The expanding areas of research in cancer are starting to dispel the doom and gloom of the last three decades with a spirit of optimism for the diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer, as the new century approaches.
Barber
H R
HR
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, NY 10021.
D000470:Alkaloids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000097:blood; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004351:Drug Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D005047:Etoposide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D006801:Humans; D007069:Ifosfamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D017239:Paclitaxel; D010452:Peptide Biosynthesis; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011987:Receptors, Steroid / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019396:Tissue Polypeptide Antigen; D014750:Vincristine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis
D000470:Alkaloids; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D001761:Bleomycin; D016190:Carboplatin; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human; D002945:Cisplatin; D005047:Etoposide; D007069:Ifosfamide; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds; D017239:Paclitaxel; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011987:Receptors, Steroid; D019396:Tissue Polypeptide Antigen; D014750:Vincristine; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; C017589:ovarian tumor associated antigen; C063554:urinary gonadotropin fragment; C049777:ormaplatin