Association of malignant mesothelioma and asbestos related conditions with ovarian cancer: shared biomarkers and a possible etiological link?

摘要

The difficulty experienced in using histology to distinguish serous neoplasms of the peritoneum, such as ovarian cancer, and malignant mesothelioma, is well-described in the literature and has been known for more than two decades (1). Both are aggressive tumors and share a similar morphology. Evidence for a resemblance manifests in the form of bio-markers, several of which are shared by both ovarian cancer and mesothelioma. In this article, we will compare and contrast these two cancer types from both biological and clinical perspectives. To address the biological relatedness, we will highlight recent studies that have profiled and characterized these tumors. From the clinical perspective, we will characterize the tumors based on subtypes, treatment options, disease prognosis, and discuss patterns of failure. The evidence presented will highlight commonalities and notable discrepancies. We believe that the data suggest that some of the molecular underpinnings of these ailments are shared. Because asbestos exposure has been strongly linked as a cause of mesothelioma, in a paper published in this issue of the Journal, Park et al. suggest that benign asbestos related pleural disease may share common biomarkers with ovarian cancer (2). At the current time, we feel that this latter conjecture still remains a hypothesis. Data and supporting evidence for it is still lacking and requires further elaboration in future investigations.