Treatment of ovarian cancer: new strategies

Objectives. The objective was to review the progress made in gene- and molecular-based management of ovarian cancer over the past decade and the future direction of targeted therapies. Methods. Research studies, review articles, and scientific meeting abstracts published between 1994 and 2002 were reviewed and analyzed. Results. Significant progress has been made in understanding the molecular biology of ovarian cancer and the role that single-nucleotide polymorphisms, tumor suppressor genes, and oncogenes play in promoting tumor cell growth and proliferation. Strategies have been developed to correct gene defects or single out ovarian cancer cells for destruction. Molecular-based therapies are now under development to specifically target receptors and signal transduction pathways that control cell proliferation and apoptosis, angiogenesis, cellular adhesion, and cell motility in ovarian tumors. Conclusions. The end product of this intense investigation will be new targeted therapies that offer the hope of improving the medical management of ovarian cancer while being significantly less toxic to normal cells. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.