Ovarian cancer.
Epithelial ovarian cancer is the commonest cause of gynaecological cancer-associated death. The disease typically presents in postmenopausal women, with a few months of abdominal pain and distension. Most women have advanced disease (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics [FIGO] stage III), for which the standard of care remains surgery and platinum-based cytotoxic chemotherapy. Although this treatment can be curative for most patients with early stage disease, most women with advanced disease will develop many episodes of recurrent disease with progressively shorter disease-free intervals. These episodes culminate in chemoresistance and ultimately bowel obstruction, the most frequent cause of death. For women whose disease continues to respond to platinum-based drugs, the disease can often be controlled for 5 years or more. Targeted treatments such as antiangiogenic drugs or poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors offer potential for improved survival. The efficacy of screening, designed to detect the disease at an earlier and curable stage remains unproven, with key results expected in 2015.
Institute of Cancer Studies, Christie Hospital and University of Manchester, Wilmslow Road, Withington, Manchester, UK. Electronic address: Gordon.Jayson@Manchester.ac.uk.
Gordon C
GC
Jayson
Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda MD, USA.
Elise C
EC
Kohn
Institute of Cancer Studies, St Marys Hospital and University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Henry C
HC
Kitchener
UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, UK.
Jonathan A
JA
Ledermann
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D019398:Genes, BRCA1; D024522:Genes, BRCA2; D018095:Germ-Line Mutation; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy; D000067856:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase Inhibitors; D011379:Prognosis
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000067856:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase Inhibitors