Familial ovarian cancer and early ovarian cancer: biologic, pathologic, and clinical features.
Women with ovarian cancer have poor overall survival rates, largely because the disease is so often diagnosed at an advanced, less curable stage. Because women with early ovarian cancer experience good survival rates, there is great interest in the study and detection of early disease. Familial ovarian cancer has been relevant to the study of early ovarian cancer in two different ways. First, women from ovarian cancer families often undergo prophylactic oophorectomy to prevent development of this disease. These ovaries have been studied for pathologic or molecular features that might represent early preinvasive disease. Second, screening tests to detect presymptomatic ovarian cancer have selectively targeted this population because of the increased positive predictive value of these tests in this population. A review of the clinical, pathologic, epidemiologic, and molecular biologic aspects of familial ovarian cancer provides a background to facilitate understanding these issues.
Werness
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Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, 231 Bethesda Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA.
Eltabbakh
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D019313:BRCA1 Protein / Q000235:genetics; D024682:BRCA2 Protein; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D010052:Ovariectomy; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics; D014463:Ultrasonography
D019313:BRCA1 Protein; D024682:BRCA2 Protein; D018394:CA-125 Antigen; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors