Lysophosphatidic acid, a disintegrin and metalloprotease-17 and heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor in ovarian cancer: the first word, not the last.

摘要

Cancer of the ovary is the leading cause of death for women with gynecologic malignancies. Over 90% of ovarian cancers derive from malignant transformation of the ovarian surface epithelium (OSE), from which cells disseminate into the peritoneal cavity, invade locally or spread via lymphatics, resulting in ascites formation and abdominal distension. Whereas early-stage ovarian cancer is curable in >90% of patients, it is asymptomatic, and most patients are diagnosed with advanced disease that carries a poor prognosis. Current tools for early detection of ovarian cancer are limited: neither ovarian palpation, transvaginal ultrasonography nor serum CA125 levels have sufficient sensitivity or specificity for general screening.