Ovarian Cancer

摘要

In the US, ovarian cancer will account for 15,310 deaths in 2006. Due in part to its frequent presentation as advanced stage disease, epithelial ovarian cancer has the highest case fatality rate of all gynecologic cancers. Despite this enormous medical impact, the molecular origins and biologic basis of this tumor remains elusive. Serous epithelial cancers of the ovary span a pathologic spectrum from low grade to high-grade tumors. Furthermore a subset of serous epithelial tumors of the ovary known as serous borderline tumors (SBT) or tumors of low malignant potential (LMP) have malignant pathologic features, but follow an indolent clinical course. Michael J. Birrer Correspondence to: Michael J. Birrer; National Institutes of Health; Building 37, Room 1130; Bethesda, Maryland 20392 USA