title: Molecular Characterization of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: Implications for Diagnosis and Treatment.
abstract: Epithelial ovarian cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease characterized by multiple histological subtypes. Molecular diversity has been shown to occur within specific histological subtypes of epithelial ovarian cancer, between different tumors of an individual patient, as well as within individual tumors. Recent advances in the molecular characterization of epithelial ovarian cancer tumors have provided the basis for a simplified classification scheme in which these cancers are classified as either type I or type II tumors, and these two categories have implications regarding disease pathogenesis and prognosis. Molecular analyses, primarily based on next-generation sequencing, otherwise known as high-throughput sequencing, are allowing for further refinement of ovarian cancer classification, facilitating the elucidation of the site(s) of precursor lesions of high-grade serous ovarian cancer, and providing insight into the processes of clonal selection and evolution that may be associated with development of chemoresistance. Potential therapeutic targets have been identified from recent molecular profiling studies of these tumors, and the effectiveness and safety of a number of specific targeted therapies have been evaluated or are currently being studied for the treatment of women with this disease.
authors.affiliation: Department Obstetrics/Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 125 Paterson Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA. vr252@rwjms.rutgers.edu.
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rojas
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, 195 Little Albany Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA. hirshfie@cinj.rutgers.edu.|Precision Medicine Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, 195 Little Albany Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA. hirshfie@cinj.rutgers.edu.
authors.forename: Kim M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Hirshfield
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, 195 Little Albany Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA. ganesasn@cinj.rutgers.edu.|Precision Medicine Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, 195 Little Albany Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA. ganesasn@cinj.rutgers.edu.
authors.forename: Shridar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ganesan
authors.affiliation: Precision Medicine Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, 195 Little Albany Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA. rodriglo@cinj.rutgers.edu.|Department Obstetrics/Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, 195 Little Albany Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA. rodriglo@cinj.rutgers.edu.
authors.forename: Lorna
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Rodriguez
mesh_terms: D000077216:Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D018740:Genetic Heterogeneity; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009375:Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000628:therapy; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000628:therapy
keywords: epithelial ovarian cancer; high throughput sequencing; next-generation sequencing