At Stanford University, I conducted research on ovarian cancer.
Published on:- 12-01-2022
During my Ovarian Cancer research at Stanford University
School of Medicine, I learned several essential and practical things. Consequently, I can present patients with the most up-to-date information on their unique treatment requirements. Furthermore, I have gathered information on therapy paradigms for newly diagnosed patients and therapeutic alternatives for people in the early stages of their condition.
Despite advancements in therapy, researchers are still looking for a reliable approach to identify ovarian cancer in its early stages. Patients have the highest chance of survival if cancer is detected early. This might enhance cancer patients' prognoses and lower death rates.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) funds research to improve the early identification of ovarian cancer. The National Cancer Institute also maintains the SEER (Sexually Transmitted Epithelial Cancer) database. This database contains statistics on ovarian cancer's occurrence, mortality, and survival.
The SEER database also includes information regarding ovarian cancer risk depending on age and family history. Ovarian cancer has a 1.4 percent lifetime risk. Understanding your risk is important since it may help you arrange your cancer screenings.
Over the years, many therapy strategies for newly diagnosed ovarian cancer patients have been created. Surgery, chemotherapy, maintenance treatment, and immunotherapy are among them. However, new therapy alternatives, including novel medicines, are now available. The objective is to enhance ovarian cancer patients' long-term survival.
According to the authors, therapeutic paradigms for newly diagnosed ovarian cancer patients have shifted dramatically. Patients now have other alternatives, which are being assessed in phase III studies. ICIs, antibody-drug conjugates, and novel compounds are among the emerging therapy alternatives. Some of these agents have previously received FDA approval in the United States and Europe.
In addition, a novel therapeutic paradigm for recurring epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is being investigated. This model includes patient-centered treatment. As a result, assessing the patient's overall condition, expectations, and treatment-related morbidity is critical.
Identifying novel molecular targets in ovarian cancer may lead to new treatment methods for patients who are resistant to chemotherapy. Furthermore, understanding the heterogeneity of ovarian cancer is critical to creating more effective immunotherapies.
One intriguing method is to increase the number of naturally existing tumor-reactive T cells. These T cells may be enhanced and supplied autologously. This technique may shorten the timescale for
ovarian cancer therapy while lowering drug development costs.
Another method is to concentrate on molecular targets found in unusual histotypes. Creating predictive animal models is a more advanced method. These models may uncover novel medications that might be repurposed to treat ovarian cancer.
The American Association for Cancer Research recently convened a special conference on ovarian cancer. During the meeting, researchers and patient activists debated crucial issues in ovarian cancer research.
Finding new treatments for high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC), one of the most severe types of ovarian cancer, is critical. Taxanes, cytoreductive surgery, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy are being used to treat HGSOC. The 5-year survival rate, on the other hand, is poor.
An experimental medication that inhibits ovarian cancer growth and invasion by targeting the CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5), a tumor-specific transcription factor that binds to the activator protein-2/Sp1 element of the urokinase receptor (UR). These inhibitors may work in tandem with chemotherapy.
However, substantial uncertainties remain concerning the mechanism of these inhibitors. Immunotherapy is being investigated to counteract the immune suppressive effects of the microenvironment. A deeper knowledge of ovarian cancer heterogeneity is critical for developing immunotherapy. Researchers have discovered a rise in AP-1 activity in resistant ovarian cancer.
Christina Messineo Annunziata has devoted most of her career to ovarian cancer research. Her studies on molecular signal transduction have been published in the scholarly publications Nature, Cancer, and BMC Cancer. She is presently a researcher at the National Cancer Institute's Women's Malignancies Branch and an associate editor for BMC Cancer.
Ovarian cancer is one of the
deadliest gynecologic malignancies, with a significant recurrence rate. High-grade serous carcinoma (HGSOC), characterized by genomic instability and frequent DNA copy number increases, is one of the most prevalent kinds of ovarian cancer. Furthermore, around 15% of HGSOC patients had mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes.
Ovarian cancer is often treated with surgery followed by chemotherapy. Many individuals, however, acquire chemo-resistance to this therapy. As a result, more treatment alternatives for recurring or resistant ovarian cancer are required.