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ovarian cancer

ovarian cancer

Overview

Ovarian cancer is a malignant neoplasm arising from the tissues of the ovary and represents the deadliest gynecological malignancy worldwide. It is most commonly classified by histological subtype, with high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) accounting for the majority of cases and carrying the worst prognosis. The disease is often described as a "silent killer" due to its nonspecific early symptoms, which result in the majority of diagnoses occurring at advanced stages when peritoneal dissemination has already taken place. Ovarian cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in women, and approximately half of women diagnosed with HGSOC succumb to the disease annually. Key risk factors include a higher number of lifetime ovulatory cycles, germline mutations in homologous recombination repair genes, and hereditary predisposition syndromes.

The molecular landscape of ovarian cancer is characterized by significant heterogeneity, encompassing alterations in DNA damage repair pathways, immune evasion mechanisms, metabolic reprogramming, and epigenetic dysregulation. Standard first-line treatment consists of cytoreductive surgery followed by platinum-based chemotherapy, typically combined with paclitaxel. However, platinum resistance is a frequent and clinically devastating phenomenon that contributes heavily to poor patient outcomes, driving extensive research into novel therapeutic strategies including PARP inhibitors, checkpoint inhibitor, and targeted agents addressing the tumor microenvironment.

Focus of Latest Publications

Recent publications on ovarian cancer have focused on improving diagnosis, prognostic stratification, and therapeutic targeting. One study developed a deep learning model to support real-time intraoperative identification of malignant ovarian tumors from gross specimen images, addressing the challenge of distinguishing malignant from benign tumors during surgery. Another study examined the cervico-vaginal DNA methylation WID-qEC test and found that, in women without endometrial or cervical cancer, test positivity was associated with ovarian cancer presence and with a higher number of lifetime ovulatory cycles, suggesting potential value for ovarian cancer triage in selected settings.

Several reports explored biomarkers and molecular features linked to ovarian cancer behavior. In a large cohort study of breast and ovarian cancer, low DHX37 protein expression in ovarian cancer was associated with lower FIGO stage, absence of residual disease, and improved overall survival, indicating a favorable prognostic association in this disease. A separate multi-omics and pan-cancer analysis identified shared molecular signatures across breast, ovarian, and colorectal cancers, highlighting Aurora kinase A, cyclin dependent kinase 1, and CCNB1 as hub targets and proposing AMG-900 as a candidate multitarget agent based on in silico binding, molecular dynamics, and pharmacokinetic analyses, although the authors emphasized the need for experimental and clinical validation.

Other studies addressed the ovarian cancer microenvironment and therapeutic modulation. Clonal lineage tracing using somatic mitochondrial DNA mutations and single-cell chromatin accessibility profiling in matched tumors, tissues, and blood from patients with lung and ovarian cancers showed that tumor microenvironment-resident myeloid cells, including macrophages and type 3 dendritic cells, were clonally related to circulating and tissue-infiltrating monocytes, with evidence that distinct differentiation fates may be programmed before infiltration. In a separate immunotherapy-oriented study, metabolite-sensing receptors such as GPR183 were identified as enhancers of natural killer (NK) cell and T cell infiltration and chemotaxis to breast and ovarian cancers, and receptor engineering increased tumor infiltration and control in preclinical models.

Therapeutic and mechanistic work also included a study of Yiyi Fuzi Baijiang Powder, which aimed to define its anti-ovarian cancer effects and implicated the JNK/c-Jun signaling pathway together with modulation of the tumor inflammatory microenvironment. In addition, a multicenter study in Japanese patients with ovarian cancer investigated risk factors for severe niraparib-induced anemia during maintenance therapy after platinum-based chemotherapy, reflecting ongoing efforts to optimize the safety of this treatment.

Key Publications

  • NEWJul Real-time intraoperative identification of malignant ovarian tumors using deep learning of clinical gross specimen images. (Taiwanese journal of obstetrics & gynecology, 2026, PMID 42362266): "However, a timely intra-operative identification of malignant ovarian tumor is challenging for clinical physicians."
  • Jun Clonal lineage tracing of innate immune cells in human cancer. (Cancer cell, 2026, PMID 42242233): "...from matched tumors, tissues, and blood from patients with lung and ovarian cancers."
  • Jun Multi-omics and pan-cancer analysis revealed common molecular signatures to disclose multitargeted anticancer agents through network pharmacology approach. (PloS one, 2026, PMID 42224282): "This study aimed to understand the common oncogenic pathways between breast, ovarian and colorectal (BOC) cancers and identify possible multitargeted therapeutic drug molecules."
  • Jun The biomarkers uCTX-II, CS846 and IGF-1 are associated with clinical and ultrasound scores in haemophilic arthropathy: a cross-sectional study. (Rheumatology international, 2026, PMID 42217051): "To assess the association of cartilage and bone turnover biomarkers uCTX-II, CS846, OC, bALP, CTX-I, IGF-1, and CTSG with HA severity in severe and mild haemophilia, as evaluated by clinical and ultrasound scoring."
  • May DHX37 protein and mRNA expression patterns in breast and ovarian cancer and their prognostic implications. (Histochemistry and cell biology, 2026, PMID 42151440): "This study investigated the expression of DHX37 in large breast and ovarian cancer patient cohorts using immunohistochemistry in 1512 breast and 420 ovarian cancer cases and complementary transcriptomic datasets."
  • May Risk Factors for Niraparib-induced Severe Anemia in Japanese Patients With Ovarian Cancer: A Multicenter Study. (Anticancer research, 2026, PMID 42049354): "Niraparib is an effective maintenance therapy after platinum-based chemotherapy for ovarian cancer."
  • May Engineering NK and T cells with metabolite-sensing receptors to target solid tumors. (Nature immunology, 2026, PMID 41872506): "In vivo and in vitro CRISPR activation screens using NK-92 cells identified GPR183, GPR84, GPR34 and GPR18 as top enhancers of infiltration and chemotaxis to breast and ovarian cancers."
  • Jun Yiyi Fuzi Baijiang powder exerts anti-ovarian cancer effects via the JNK/c-Jun signaling pathway and modulation of the tumor inflammatory microenvironment. (Bioorganic chemistry, 2026, PMID 41864115): "This study aimed to comprehensively investigate the anti-ovarian cancer (OC) efficacy of Yiyi Fuzi Baijiang Powder (YFBP), identify its key chemical constituents, and elucidate the underlying mechanisms of action."
  • May The cervico-vaginal DNA methylation WID-qEC test: An epigenetic marker associated with ovarian cancer in the absence of endometrial and cervical cancer. (International journal of cancer, 2026, PMID 41609407): "WID-qEC positivity was associated with the presence of ovarian cancer (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.93; 95% CI 1.75-4.95) and with a higher number of lifetime ovulatory cycles (adjusted OR 2.67; 95% CI 1.06-7.50), a known ovarian cancer risk factor."
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