Mechanisms of ovarian cancer metastasis: biochemical pathways

• Published in: International Journal of Molecular Sciences Vol. 13; no. 9; pp. 11705 - 11717
• Main Authors: Nakayama, Kentaro, Nakayama, Naomi, Katagiri, Hiroshi, Miyazaki, Kohji
• Format: Journal Article Book Review
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01.09.2012; Molecular Diversity Preservation International (MDPI)
• Subjects: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use; cancer; Drug Delivery Systems; EMT; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; Female; Genes, Tumor Suppressor; Humans; metastasis suppressor gene; Neoplasm Metastasis; Ovarian cancer; Ovarian Neoplasms - drug therapy; Ovarian Neoplasms - genetics; Ovarian Neoplasms - metabolism; Ovarian Neoplasms - pathology; Review; Tumor Microenvironment; cancer; tumor microenvironment; metastasis suppressor gene; EMT
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms130911705

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy. Despite advances in chemotherapy, the five-year survival rate of advanced ovarian cancer patients with peritoneal metastasis remains around 30%. The most significant prognostic factor is stage, and most patients present at an advanced stage with peritoneal dissemination. There is often no clearly identifiable precursor lesion; therefore, the events leading to metastatic disease are poorly understood. This article reviews metastatic suppressor genes, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and the tumor microenvironment as they relate to ovarian cancer metastasis. Additionally, novel chemotherapeutic agents targeting the metastasis-related biochemical pathways are discussed.