Onkológia 5/2014

Molecular pathology of selected types of ovarian cancer

Ovarian carcinomas are the most common malignant tumours of the ovary. According to their histomorphology, immunohistochemistry and molecular-genetic analysis ovarian carcinomas have been divided into five main types, namely high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC), endometrioid carcinoma (EC), clear cell carcinoma (CCC), mucinous carcinoma (MC), and low-grade serous carcinoma (LGSC). These types differ in epidemiological and genetic risk factors, in precursor lesions, molecular mechanisms during oncogenesis, form of dissemination and also in response to chemotherapy and prognosis. The most frequent molecular alterations in HGSC are changes of p53 and BRCA1/2, in the EC there are ganges of PTEN and ARID1A, CCCs contain alterations of the HNF-1 (hepatocyte nuclear factor 1) and ARID1A, in MC there are ganges of KRAS and HER2, and LGSC possesses abnormalities of KRAS and BRAF. In spite of the unified epithelial histogenetic origin ovarian carcinomas are highly heterogeneous group of tumours. Various histological and immunohistochemical phenotypes are results of the large number of molecular alterations which knowledge is important not only for understanding of the pathogenesis of these tumours, but also in the study of potential therapeutic options.

Keywords: ovary, carcinoma, molecular biology, typing, genetics.