Paradigm Shift: A Comprehensive Review of Ovarian Cancer Management in an Era of Advancements
Ovarian cancer treatment has undergone a paradigm shift with the identification of new disease biomarkers and the proposal of targeted therapeutic approaches, leading to improved survival and reduced toxicity.
Ovarian cancer (OC) is the female genital malignancy with the highest lethality. Patients present a poor prognosis mainly due to the late clinical presentation allied with the common acquisition of chemoresistance and a high rate of tumour recurrence. Effective screening, accurate diagnosis, and personalised multidisciplinary treatments are crucial for improving patients’ survival and quality of life. This comprehensive narrative review aims to describe the current knowledge on the aetiology, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of OC, highlighting the latest significant advancements and future directions. Traditionally, OC treatment involves the combination of cytoreductive surgery and platinum‑based chemotherapy. Although more therapeutical approaches have been developed, the lack of established predictive biomarkers to guide disease management has led to only marginal improvements in progression‑free survival (PFS) while patients face an increasing level of toxicity. Fortunately, because of a better overall understanding of ovarian tumourigenesis and advancements in the disease’s (epi)genetic and molecular profiling, a paradigm shift has emerged with the identification of new disease biomarkers and the proposal of targeted therapeutic approaches to postpone disease recurrence and decrease side effects, while increasing patients’ survival.
The review underscores that despite the steady rise in numerous therapeutic options, the scarcity of predictive biomarkers has limited clinical benefit, so the identification of novel biomarkers and targeted therapies is essential for personalized treatment, improved prognosis and reduced side‑effects in OC patients.
Bizonyítékszint: Irányelv / elfogadott gyakorlat. Magas szintű klinikai elfogadottság.
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- Ovarian cancer – Treatment – Overview of Information and Clinical Research