Mucinous ovarian cancer: A therapeutic review

Fertility-Sparing Surgery and Adjuvant Chemotherapy with Trastuzumab Result in Complete Remission in a Young Woman with Rare Primary Mucinous Ovarian Cancer due to ERBB2 Co-amplification with CDK12 and Chromosome 11q13.3 Amplicon: A Case Report and Literature Review

Primary mucinous ovarian carcinoma (PMOC) is a rare tumor, accounting for approximately 3% of all epithelial ovarian cancers (EOCs), with clinical risk factors and biologic features distinct from that of EOC. The prognosis for women with recurrent and high-grade PMOC remains poor, likely related to a poor response to conventional chemotherapy for EOC. A 27-year-old Chinese woman sought medical attention in January 2021 for abdominal distention from a large pelvic mass. After extensive investigations and workup, she was diagnosed with PMOC of the right ovary. Following multidisciplinary team (MDT) discussions, the patient underwent fertility-sparing surgery (FSS) (abdominal left adnexectomy, right partial oophorectomy, pelvic lymph node dissection, para-aortic lymph node dissection, omentectomy) as she yearned to preserve her fertility and the contralateral ovary appeared normal. Deep genetic analyses revealed ERBB2 co-amplification with CDK12 and chromosome 11q13.3 amplicon. Treatment with fertility-sparing surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy with trastuzumab results in complete remission. This novel strategy utilizing precise diagnostics and characterization of the histo-type of rare tumors allowed personalized targeting with optimum drug response for women who yearn fertility preservation and remission from the disease, especially when there is very limited clinical experience on management of such rare ovarian tumors.

Giant mucinous cystadenocarcinoma of ovary in a young woman: a case report and review of literature

In April 2023, we successfully treated a 21-year-old patient afflicted with a rare giant cystadenocarcinoma, an extraordinarily large mucinous ovarian tumor that weighed nearly 25 kg. The preoperative dimensions of the tumor measured 40 × 30 × 34 cm, with the tumor's weight nearing 25 kg. Despite its uncommon nature, we elected to perform a right adnexectomy, greater omentectomy, and peritoneal biopsy during the surgical intervention due to the patient's youth and the family's expressed desire to preserve fertility. In the subsequent August follow-up, CT scans revealed the complete resolution of the tumor, accompanied by the normalization of tumor markers, indicating a favorable outcome.

Clinicopathological and Oncological Outcomes of Borderline Mucinous Tumours of Ovary: a Large Case Series

The objective is to study the clinico-demographic profile, treatment patterns and oncological outcomes in borderline mucinous tumours of the ovary. Retrospective cohort analysis was carried out between January 2017 and December 2019 for patients with a diagnosis of borderline mucinous tumours of the ovary who were treated at our centre. Kaplan-Meier method was used for the estimation of the probability of DFS and OS. Univariate and multivariate analyses based on the Cox proportional hazard model were performed to identify factors associated with DFS and OS. A p-value ≤ 0.05 in a two-tailed test was considered statistically significant. The study population included 75 patients and the median follow-up time for the entire cohort was 24 months. The 5-year DFS for the entire cohort was 79.6% and OS was 90.5%, whereas for stage I disease, 5-year OS was 92.6% as opposed to 60% in the advanced stage. On univariate analysis, only the stage of the disease had a significant association with DFS and OS. Fertility-preserving surgeries had no impact on OS or DFS, and hence, it is suggested that fertility-sparing surgeries may be considered a viable option in young patients with mucinous ovarian tumours. Borderline mucinous tumours of the ovary have excellent survival outcomes and fertility-sparing surgeries should be done whenever feasible.

Biomarkers for checkpoint inhibitor therapy in mucinous epithelial ovarian cancer

OBJECTIVE

The prognosis of patients with advanced stage mucinous epithelial ovarian cancer remains poor due to a modest response to platinum-based chemotherapy and the absence of therapeutic alternatives. As targeted approaches may help to overcome these limitations, the present study evaluates biomarkers indicative of potential immune-checkpoint inhibitor therapy response.

METHODS

All patients who underwent primary cytoreductive surgery from January 2001 to December 2020 and for whom formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples were available were included (n=35; 12 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage ≥IIb). To define sub-groups potentially suitable for checkpoint inhibition, expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (CD3+, CD8+, CD20+, CD45+, CD68+, FoxP3+), and AT-rich interactive domain-containing protein 1A (ARID1A) immunostaining were evaluated in whole tissue sections and compared with clinicopathologic parameters and next-generation sequencing results, where available (n=11). Survival analyses were performed to assess whether identified sub-groups were associated with specific clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

In total, 34.3% (n=12/35) of tumors were PD-L1 positive. PD-L1 expression was associated with infiltrative histotype (p=0.027) and correlated with higher CD8+ (r=0.577, p<0.001) and CD45+ (r=0.424, p=0.011), but reduced ARID1A expression (r=-4.39, p=0.008). CD8+ expression was associated with longer progression-free survival (hazard ratio (HR) 0.85 (95% CI 0.72 to 0.99), p=0.047) and disease-specific survival (HR 0.85 (95% CI 0.73 to 1.00), p=0.044) in the sub-group with FIGO stage ≥IIb. Three (8.6%) samples demonstrated high PD-L1 expression at a combined positive score of >10, which was associated with increased CD8+ expression (p=0.010) and loss of ARID1A expression (p=0.034). Next-generation sequencing, which was available for all samples with a combined positive score of >10, showed KRAS mutations, BRCA wild-type status, and mismatch repair proficiency in all cases, but did not reveal genetic alterations potentially associated with a pro-immunogenic tumor environment.

CONCLUSIONS

A sub-group of mucinous ovarian cancers appear to demonstrate a pro-immunogenic tumor environment with high PD-L1 expression, decreased ARID1A expression, and characteristic tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte infiltration patterns. Further clinical validation of anti-PD-L1/PD-1 targeting in selected mucinous ovarian cancers appears promising.

Rare Epithelial Ovarian Cancers: Low Grade Serous and Mucinous Carcinomas

The ovarian epithelial cancer histotypes can be divided into common and rare types. Common types include high-grade serous ovarian carcinomas and the endometriosis-associated cancers, endometrioid and clear-cell carcinomas. The less common histotypes are mucinous and low-grade serous, each comprising less than 10% of all epithelial carcinomas. Although histologically and epidemiologically distinct from each other, these histotypes share some genetic and natural history features that distinguish them from the more common types. In this review, we will consider the similarities and differences of these rare histological types, and the clinical challenges they pose.

Development and validation of a nomogram to predict cancer-specific survival of mucinous epithelial ovarian cancer after cytoreductive surgery

BACKGROUND

Mucinous epithelial ovarian cancer (mEOC) is a relatively uncommon subtype of ovarian cancer with special prognostic features, but there is insufficient research in this area. This study aimed to develop a nomogram for the cancer-specific survival (CSS) of mEOC based on Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database and externally validate it in National Union of Real World Gynecological Oncology Research and Patient Management (NUWA) platform from China.

METHODS

Patients screened from SEER database were allocated into training and internal validation cohort in a ratio of 7: 3, with those from NUWA platform as an external validation cohort. Significant factors selected by Cox proportional hazard regression were applied to establish a nomogram for 3-year and 5-year CSS. The performance of nomogram was assessed by concordance index, calibration curves and Kaplan-Meier (K-M) curves.

RESULTS

The training cohort (n = 572) and internal validation cohort (n = 246) were filtered out from SEER database. The external validation cohort contained 186 patients. Baseline age, tumor stage, histopathological grade, lymph node metastasis and residual disease after primary surgery were significant risk factors (p < 0.05) and were included to develop the nomogram. The C-index of nomogram in training, internal validation and external validation cohort were 0.869 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.838-0.900), 0.839 (95% CI, 0.787-0.891) and 0.800 (95% CI, 0.738-0.862), respectively. The calibration curves of 3-year and 5-year CSS in each cohort showed favorable agreement between prediction and observation. K-M curves of different risk groups displayed great discrimination.

CONCLUSION

The discrimination and goodness of fit of the nomogram indicated its satisfactory predictive value for the CSS of mEOC in SEER database and external validation in China, which implies its potential application in different populations.

A 62-Year-Old Woman With a Large Abdominal Mass

A 62-year-old nulligravida woman had 10 months of progressive abdominal distension, diffuse abdominal pain, and 25-kg weight gain. She had no nausea or vomiting, hematochezia, or stool changes; pelvic and abdominal examination showed a large abdominal mass extending from the epigastrium to the pelvis but no other abnormalities; results of laboratory testing, including cancer antigen levels, were unremarkable. What is the diagnosis and what would you do next?

Targeted therapy for mucinous ovarian carcinoma: evidence from clinical trials

Mucinous ovarian carcinoma is a rare subtype of epithelial ovarian cancer. Despite being a chemoresistant tumour type, surgical resection and chemotherapy are still the current standard for management. This narrative review aims to explore the current evidence for targeted therapies in mucinous ovarian carcinoma. A review of the literature was performed to identify clinical trials and case reports of targeted therapy in patients with mucinous ovarian carcinoma. The databases and registers (PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Europe PMC, Cochrane Central Register of Clinical Trials, clinicaltrials.gov) were searched for articles published between January 2009 to June 2021 using keywords specific for mucinous ovarian carcinoma and targeted therapy. Records were screened and assessed for eligibility based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. From 684 records, 21 studies met the criteria to be included in the review. A total of 11 different targeted therapies were identified, each demonstrating varying degrees of clinical evidence supporting further investigation in patients with mucinous ovarian carcinoma. Targeted therapies identified in this review that warrant further investigations are bevacizumab, trastuzumab, nintedanib, AZD1775, sunitinib, cediranib and pazopanib. Many of the therapeutic agents may be investigated further in combination with other targeted therapies or chemotherapy. More clinical trials focusing on targeted therapy specifically in patients with mucinous ovarian cancer are required to inform clinical use. Multinational efforts are likely to be required to successfully conduct trials in this rare tumor type.

Primary mucinous ovarian cancer: options for surgery and chemotherapy

Primary mucinous ovarian cancer is a rare type of epithelial ovarian cancer. In this comprehensive review we discuss management recommendations for the treatment of mucinous ovarian cancer. Although most tumors are stage I at diagnosis, 15-20% are advanced stage at diagnosis. Traditionally, patients with primary mucinous ovarian cancer have been treated similarly to those with the more common serous ovarian cancer. However, recent studies have shown that mucinous ovarian cancer is very different from other types of epithelial ovarian cancer. Primary mucinous ovarian cancer is less likely to spread to lymph nodes or the upper abdomen and more likely to affect younger women, who may desire fertility-sparing therapies. Surgical management of mucinous ovarian cancer mirrors surgical management of other types of epithelial ovarian cancer and includes a bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and total hysterectomy. When staging is indicated, it should include pelvic washing, omentectomy, and peritoneal biopsies; lymph node evaluation should be considered in patients with infiltrative tumors. The appendix should be routinely evaluated intra-operatively, but an appendectomy may be omitted if the appendix appears grossly normal. Fertility preservation can be considered in patients with gross disease confined to one ovary and a normal-appearing contralateral ovary. Patients with recurrent platinum-sensitive disease whose disease distribution suggests a high likelihood of complete gross resection may be candidates for secondary debulking. Primary mucinous ovarian cancer seems to be resistant to standard platinum-and-taxane regimens used frequently for other types of ovarian cancer. Gastrointestinal cancer regimens are another option; these include 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin, or capecitabine and oxaliplatin. Data on heated intra-peritoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for mucinous ovarian cancer are scarce, but HIPEC may be worth considering. For patients with recurrence or progression on first-line chemotherapy, we advocate enrollment in a clinical trial if one is available. For this reason, it may be beneficial to perform molecular testing in all patients with recurrent or progressive mucinous ovarian cancer.

Evaluation of Outcomes of Mucinous Ovarian Cancer Treated at a Tertiary Care Cancer Hospital in Pakistan

Syed Abdul Mannan HamdaniObjective  To evaluate the clinicopathological features and survival outcomes of mucinous ovarian cancer (MOC) patients in an Asian population. Study Design  Descriptive observational study. Place and Duration of Study  Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan, from January 2001 to December 2016. Methods  Data of MOC were evaluated for demographics, tumor stage, clinical characteristics, tumor markers, treatment modalities, and outcomes from electronic Hospital Information System. Results  Nine-hundred patients with primary ovarian cancer were reviewed, out of which 94 patients (10.4%) had MOC. The median age was 36 ± 12.4 years. The most common presentation was abdominal distension 51 (54.3%), while the rest presented with abdominal pain and irregular menstruation. Using FIGO (The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) staging, 72 (76.6%) had stage I, 3 (3.2%) stage II, stage III in 12 (12.8%), and 7 (7.4%) had stage IV disease. The majority of patients 75 (79.8%) had early-stage (stage I/II), while 19 (20.2%) presented with advanced-stage (III & IV). The median follow-up duration was 52 months (range 1-199 months). Among patients with early-stage (I&II), 3- and 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 95%, while for advanced stage (III&IV), PFS was 16% and 8%, respectively. The overall survival (OS) in early-stage I&II was 97%, while for advanced stages III & IV, the OS was 26%. Conclusion  MOC is a challenging and rare subtype of ovarian cancer requiring special attention and recognition. Most patients treated at our center presented with early stages and had excellent outcomes, while advanced-stage disease had dismal results.

Bilateral ovarian mucinous carcinoma (stage III) with omental involvement and incidental hydronephrosis: A rare case report

INTRODUCTION

Though ovarian malignancies are common, mucinous ovarian carcinomas of high grade are rare. They usually occur in a young female under 40 years of age. Here, we present a case of mucinous ovarian carcinoma (stage III), with omental involvement and incidental hydronephrosis in a 67-year-old female patient.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 67-year-old female patient presented to us with a history of lower abdominal pain for 2 months and per-vaginal discharge for the last 6 days. On deep palpation of the abdomen, a nodular mass occupying the suprapubic region was found. Bimanual palpation revealed a mass on the right and left adnexa. After visualization of septate cystic mass bilaterally on CECT, she was planned for staging laparotomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) with infra-colic omentectomy with peritoneal cytology. Incidentally, a horseshoe-shaped kidney with right mild hydronephrosis was found. After surgery and histopathologic examination, mucinous ovarian carcinoma (stage III), with omental involvement was confirmed.

DISCUSSION

Mucinous ovarian carcinomas are rare malignancies, with different natural history, molecular profile, and prognosis as compared to other epithelial tumors of the ovary. These carcinomas can be either primary or secondary (those metastasized to the ovary from elsewhere), and this differentiation is essential. The therapeutic approach to the patients depends upon the stage at which these carcinomas are diagnosed.

CONCLUSION

Mucinous ovarian carcinomas are rare and have unique features among the epithelial ovarian carcinomas. Appreciation of these features will surely make a positive impact in improving the management and thus the prognosis of these carcinomas.

A comprehensive survey into the role of microRNAs in ovarian cancer chemoresistance; an updated overview

Ovarian cancer (OC), a frequent malignant tumor that affects women, is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in this group of individuals. For the treatment of ovarian cancer, systemic chemotherapy with platinum-based drugs or taxanes is the first-line option. However, drug resistance developed over time during chemotherapy medications worsens the situation. Since uncertainty exists for the mechanism of chemotherapy resistance in ovarian cancer, there is a need to investigate and overcome this problem. miRNAs are engaged in various signaling pathways that contribute to the chemotherapeutic resistance of ovarian cancer. In the current study, we have tried to shed light on the mechanisms by which microRNAs contribute to the drug resistance of ovarian cancer and the use of some microRNAs to combat this chemoresistance, leading to the worse outcome of ovarian cancer patients treated with systemic chemotherapeutics.

Giant ovarian mucinous cystadenocarcinoma: A case report

Giant ovarian tumors are rare in the present day due to the early diagnosis and treatment. However, owing to the large size, it can often compress the inferior vena cava and sudden decompression of it during the removal can lead to hemodynamic instability with disastrous outcomes.

Genomic and TCR profiling data reveal the distinct molecular traits in epithelial ovarian cancer histotypes

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is classified into five major histotypes: high-grade serous (HGSOC), low-grade serous (LGSOC), clear cell (CCOC), endometrioid (ENOC), and mucinous (MOC). However, the landscape of molecular and immunological alterations in these histotypes, especially LGSOC, CCOC, ENOC, and MOC, is largely uncharacterized. We collected 101 treatment-naive EOC patients. The resected tumor tissues and paired preoperative peripheral blood samples were collected and subjected to target sequencing of 1021 cancer-associated genes and T cell repertoire sequencing. Distinct characteristics of mutations were identified among the five histotypes. Furthermore, tumor mutation burden (TMB) was found to be higher in CCOC and ENOC, but lower in LGSOC and HGSOC. Alterations associated with DNA damage repair (DDR) pathways and homologous recombination deficiencies (HRD) were prevalent in five histotypes. CCOC demonstrated increased level of T cell clonality compared with HSGOC. Interestingly, the proportion of the 100 most common T cell clones was associated with TMB and tumor neoantigen burden in CCOC, highlighting more sensitive anti-tumor responses in this histotype, which was also evidenced by the enhanced convergent recombination of T cell clones. These findings shed light on the molecular traits of genomic alteration and T cell repertoire in the five major EOC histotypes and may help optimize clinical management of EOC with different histotypes.

Prognosis in primary mucinous ovarian carcinoma: focusing on the five pathological findings indicating metastatic mucinous carcinoma to the ovary

Objective

Pathological features indicating metastatic mucinous carcinoma to the ovary (MMCO) have been rarely reported in primary mucinous ovarian carcinoma (PMOC). However, little is known about how often they are observed in PMOC and how they relate to patient prognosis. In this study, we investigated the pathological features indicating MMCO in a large cohort of PMOCs and analyzed their association with patient prognosis.

Methods

We reviewed surgically treated PMOC patients diagnosed at the Seoul National University Hospital from 1995 to 2019, according to the updated WHO classification, and investigated the presence of pathological features indicating MMCO.

Results

A total of 144 patients with PMOCs were included. The 5 pathological findings indicating MMCO, including an infiltrative invasive pattern, the absence of benign or borderline components, a smaller tumor size, the presence of signet ring cells and the presence of extracellular mucin were observed in PMOC (21.6%, 43.1%, 20.8%, 4.3% and 12.9%, respectively), and were significantly correlated with poor overall and progression-free survival rates in PMOC. The patient’s prognosis worsened as the extent of the infiltrative invasive pattern increased (p<0.001). In addition, the prognostic power was stronger when the 5 pathological factors were analyzed together (new grouping system) than when analyzed individually (p<0.001) and the new grouping system was identified as an independent prognostic factor regardless of FIGO stage.

Conclusion

Five pathological findings indicating MMCO in PMOC were significantly associated with poor prognosis in PMOC patients. Also, the new grouping system combining these findings was identified as an independent prognostic factor.

Pathologic features indicating metastatic mucinous carcinoma to the ovary (MMCO) have been rarely reported in primary mucinous ovarian carcinomas (PMOCs). We found the 5 pathological findings indicating MMCO in PMOC were significantly associated with poor prognosis in PMOC patients.

Options for the Treatment of Mucinous Ovarian Carcinoma

OPINION STATEMENT

Complete surgical resection is the gold-standard treatment for all mucinous ovarian carcinoma (MOC) cases. Advanced-stage disease is often additionally treated with adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy; however, these were developed largely against the more common high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma and have low efficacy in treating MOC. More effective therapeutics are needed to treat late-stage and platinum-resistant tumors; however, traditional drug development and clinical trial paradigms are a major challenge for such a rare disease. New approaches to support evidence-based treatment decisions are required, such as registry trials. Recently, a number of targeted therapies have emerged as viable treatment options in other cancer types, and for some of these, the actionable tumor mutations are also seen in MOC. Thus, a promising alternative approach to provide benefit to current MOC patients involves DNA sequencing to identify a tumor's unique mutational profile and allow matching to available targeted agents. Such a pipeline can involve special approval to administer a drug already approved for clinical use in other cancer types to a given MOC patient, or their inclusion in existing ongoing clinical trials, such as basket trials encompassing patients with tumors from a range of anatomical sites. Implementation of such personalized medicine can be boosted using improved pre-clinical models, where through a clinical research collaboration a patient's own tumor cells can be used to a test a range of putative therapies prior to administration in the clinic, enabling selection of the available pharmaceutical/s that give any given patient the best possible chance of cancer remission.

The Protein Landscape of Mucinous Ovarian Cancer: Towards a Theranostic

MOC is a rare histotype of epithelial ovarian cancer, and current management options are inadequate for the treatment of late stage or recurrent disease. A shift towards personalised medicines in ovarian cancer is being observed, with trials targeting specific molecular pathways, however, MOC lags due to its rarity. Theranostics is a rapidly evolving category of personalised medicine, encompassing both a diagnostic and therapeutic approach by recognising targets that are expressed highly in tumour tissue in order to deliver a therapeutic payload. The present review evaluates the protein landscape of MOC in recent immunohistochemical- and proteomic-based research, aiming to identify potential candidates for theranostic application. Fourteen proteins were selected based on cell membrane localisation: HER2, EGFR, FOLR1, RAC1, GPR158, CEACAM6, MUC16, PD-L1, NHE1, CEACAM5, MUC1, ACE2, GP2, and PTPRH. Optimal proteins to target using theranostic agents must exhibit high membrane expression on cancerous tissue with low expression on healthy tissue to afford improved disease outcomes with minimal off-target effects and toxicities. We provide guidelines to consider in the selection of a theranostic target for MOC and suggest future directions in evaluating the results of this review.

The future excess fraction of cancer due to lifestyle factors in Australia

BACKGROUND

Many cancers are caused by exposure to lifestyle, environmental, and occupational factors. Earlier studies have estimated the number of cancers occurring in a single year which are attributable to past exposures to these factors. However, there is now increasing appreciation that estimates of the future burden of cancer may be more useful for policy and prevention. We aimed to calculate the future number of cancers expected to arise as a result of exposure to 23 modifiable risk factors.

METHODS

We used the future excess fraction (FEF) method to estimate the lifetime burden of cancer (2016-2098) among Australian adults who were exposed to modifiable lifestyle, environmental, and occupational risk factors in 2016. Calculations were conducted for 26 cancer sites and 78 cancer-risk factor pairings.

RESULTS

The cohort of 18.8 million adult Australians in 2016 will develop an estimated 7.6 million cancers during their lifetime, of which 1.8 million (24%) will be attributable to exposure to modifiable risk factors. Cancer sites with the highest number of future attributable cancers were colon and rectum (n = 717,700), lung (n = 380,400), and liver (n = 103,200). The highest number of future cancers will be attributable to exposure to tobacco smoke (n = 583,500), followed by overweight/obesity (n = 333,100) and alcohol consumption (n = 249,700).

CONCLUSION

A significant proportion of future cancers will result from recent levels of exposure to modifiable risk factors. Our results provide direct, pertinent information to help determine where preventive measures could best be targeted.

Prognostic similarity between ovarian mucinous carcinoma with expansile invasion and ovarian mucinous borderline tumor: A retrospective analysis

There is a similarity of histological features and survival between ovarian mucinous carcinoma (MC) with expansile invasion and ovarian mucinous borderline tumor (MBT). The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of MC with expansile invasion with those of MBT based on the 2020 World Health Organization (WHO) criteria.A pathological review was performed on patients with MC, ovarian MBT, and seromucinous borderline tumors that underwent surgery at our hospital between 1984 and 2019. Clinicopathological features were compared retrospectively between MC with expansile invasion and MBT.Among 83 cases of MC, 85 cases of MBT, and 12 cases of seromucinous borderline tumor, 25 MC cases with expansile invasion and 98 MBT cases were included through review. MC cases with expansile invasion were diagnosed with advanced International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stages more frequently (P = .02) than that of MBT cases. In addition, patients with MC with expansile invasion received adjuvant chemotherapy more often (P < .01) than that of patients with MBT. There were no statistically significant differences in recurrence rate (P = .10) between MC with expansile invasion and MBT. Progression-free survival (PFS) was worse in MC cases with expansile invasion than that in MBT cases (P = .01). However, a multivariate analysis for PFS showed that histological subtype, FIGO stage, and adjuvant chemotherapy were not an independent prognostic factor.The prognostic outcome of MC with expansile invasion might mimic those of MBT. These results showed ovarian borderline tumor treatment could be applied to MC treatment.

Ovarian Endometrioid Carcinoma Misdiagnosed as Mucinous Carcinoma: An Underrecognized Problem

Primary mucinous carcinoma of the ovary is uncommon, and while numerous studies have focused on improving our ability to distinguish these tumors from gastrointestinal metastases, recent data suggest that up to one fifth are still misdiagnosed with a previously underrecognized culprit: endometrioid carcinoma. Using an index case of an ovarian endometrioid carcinoma with mucinous differentiation masquerading as a mucinous carcinoma, we sought to identify the most efficient biomarker combination that could distinguish these 2 histotypes. Eight immunohistochemical markers were assessed on tissue microarrays from 183 endometrioid carcinomas, 77 mucinous carcinomas, and 72 mucinous borderline tumors. Recursive partitioning revealed a simple 2-marker panel consisting of PR and vimentin. The combination of PR absence and vimentin absence could predict mucinous tumors with a sensitivity of 95.1%, a specificity of 96.7%, and an overall accuracy of 96.0%. Additional marker combinations did not improve accuracy. The 5-yr ovarian cancer-specific survival for mucinous carcinoma was significantly worse than endometrioid carcinoma (70% vs. 86%, respectively, P=0.02). Our proposed 2-marker algorithm allows diagnostic distinction between mucinous and endometrioid ovarian carcinomas when morphology is not straightforward. Given key differences in the underlying biology and clinical behavior of these 2 histotypes, improved diagnostic precision is essential for guiding appropriate management and treatment.

Identification of PLK1 as a New Therapeutic Target in Mucinous Ovarian Carcinoma

Mucinous epithelial ovarian cancer (mEOC) is a rare subset of epithelial ovarian cancer. When diagnosed at a late stage, its prognosis is very poor, as it is quite chemo-resistant. To find new therapeutic options for mEOC, we performed high-throughput screening using a siRNA library directed against human protein kinases in a mEOC cell line, and polo-like kinase1 (PLK1) was identified as the kinase whose downregulation interfered with cell proliferation. Both PLK1 siRNA and two specific PLK1 inhibitors (onvansertib and volasertib) were able to inhibit cell growth, induce apoptosis and block cells in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. We evaluated, in vitro, the combinations of PLK1 inhibitors and different chemotherapeutic drugs currently used in the treatment of mEOC, and we observed a synergistic effect of PLK1 inhibitors and antimitotic drugs. When translated into an in vivo xenograft model, the combination of onvansertib and paclitaxel resulted in stronger tumor regressions and in a longer mice survival than the single treatments. These effects were associated with a higher induction of mitotic block and induction of apoptosis, similarly to what was observed in vitro. These data suggest that the combination onvansertib/paclitaxel could represent a new active therapeutic option in mEOC.

Mucinous Cancer of the Ovary: Overview and Current Status

Mucinous ovarian cancer (MOC) is a rare subtype of epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC). Whereas all EOC subtypes are addressed in the same way, MOC is a distinct entity. Appreciating the pathological features and genomic profile of MOC may result in the improvement in management and, hence, the prognosis. Distinguishing primary MOC from metastatic mucinous carcinoma can be challenging but is essential. Early-stage MOC carries an excellent prognosis, with advanced disease having a poor outcome. Surgical management plays an essential role in the early stage and in metastatic disease. Chemotherapy is usually administered for stage II MOC and beyond. The standard gynecology protocol is frequently used, but gastrointestinal regimens have also been administered. As MOC is associated with multiple molecular alterations, targeted therapy could be the answer to treat this disease.

Methodology of predicting novel key regulators in ovarian cancer network: a network theoretical approach

Background

Identification of key regulator/s in ovarian cancer (OC) network is important for potential drug target and prevention from this cancer. This study proposes a method to identify the key regulators of this network and their importance.

Methods

The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of ovarian cancer (OC) is constructed from curated 6 hundred genes from standard six important ovarian cancer databases (some of the genes are experimentally verified). We proposed a method to identify key regulators (KRs) from the complex ovarian cancer network based on the tracing of backbone hubs, which participate at all levels of organization, characterized by Newmann-Grivan community finding method. Knockout experiment, constant Potts model and survival analysis are done to characterize the importance of the key regulators in regulating the network.

Results

The PPI network of ovarian cancer is found to obey hierarchical scale free features organized by topology of heterogeneous modules coordinated by diverse leading hubs. The network and modular structures are devised by fractal rules with the absence of centrality-lethality rule, to enhance the efficiency of signal processing in the network and constituting loosely connected modules. Within the framework of network theory, we device a method to identify few key regulators (KRs) from a huge number of leading hubs, that are deeply rooted in the network, serve as backbones of it and key regulators from grassroots level to complete network structure. Using this method we could able to identify five key regulators, namely, AKT1, KRAS, EPCAM, CD44 and MCAM, out of which AKT1 plays central role in two ways, first it serves as main regulator of ovarian cancer network and second serves as key cross-talk agent of other key regulators, but exhibits disassortive property. The regulating capability of AKT1 is found to be highest and that of MCAM is lowest.

Conclusions

The popularities of these key hubs change in an unpredictable way at different levels of organization and absence of these hubs cause massive amount of wiring energy/rewiring energy that propagate over all the network. The network compactness is found to increase as one goes from top level to bottom level of the network organization.

Epithelial ovarian cancer risk: A review of the current genetic landscape

Ovarian cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death in women in the developed world, and one of the most heritable cancers. One of the most significant risk factors for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is a family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer. Combined risk factors can be used in models to stratify risk of EOC, and aid in decisions regarding risk-reduction strategies. Germline pathogenic variants in EOC susceptibility genes including those involved in homologous recombination and mismatch repair pathways are present in approximately 22% to 25% of EOC. These genes are associated with an estimated lifetime risk of EOC of 13% to 60% for BRCA1 variants and 10% to 25% for BRCA2 variants, with lower risks associated with remaining genes. Genome-wide association studies have identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) thought to explain an additional 6.4% of the familial risk of ovarian cancer, with 34 susceptibility loci identified to date. However, an unknown proportion of the genetic component of EOC risk remains unexplained. This review comprises an overview of individual genes and SNPs suspected to contribute to risk of EOC, and discusses use of a polygenic risk score to predict individual cancer risk more accurately.

A descriptive report of outcomes of primary mucinous ovarian cancer patients receiving either an adjuvant gynecologic or gastrointestinal chemotherapy regimen

OBJECTIVE

We described progression-free survival and overall survival in patients with primary mucinous ovarian cancer receiving adjuvant gynecologic versus gastrointestinal chemotherapy regimens.

METHODS

We identified all primary mucinous ovarian cancer patients receiving adjuvant gynecologic or gastrointestinal chemotherapy regimens at a single institution from 1994 to 2016. Gynecologic pathologists using strict pathologic/clinical criteria determined diagnosis. Adjuvant therapy was coded as gynecologic or gastrointestinal based on standard agents and schedules. Clinical/pathologic/treatment characteristics were recorded. Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used for continuous variables, and Fisher's exact test for categorical variables. Progression-free and overall survival were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method, applying landmark analysis.

RESULTS

Of 62 patients identified, 21 received adjuvant chemotherapy: 12 gynecologic, 9 gastrointestinal. Median age (in years) at diagnosis: 58 (range 25-68) gynecologic cohort, 38 (range 32-68) gastrointestinal cohort (p=0.13). Median body mass index at first post-operative visit: 25 kg/m2 (range 18-31) gynecologic cohort, 23 kg/m2 (range 18-31) gastrointestinal cohort (p=0.23). History of smoking: 6/12 (50%) gynecologic cohort, 3/9 (33%) gastrointestinal cohort (p=0.66). Stage distribution in gynecologic and gastrointestinal cohorts, respectively: stage I: 9/12 (75%) and 3/9 (33%); stage II: 2/12 (17%) and 1/9 (11%); stage III: 1/12 (8%) and 5/9 (56%) (p=0.06). Grade distribution in gynecologic and gastrointestinal cohorts, respectively: grade 1: 8/12 (67%) and 1/9 (13%); grade 2/3: 4/12 (33%) and 7/9 (88%) (p=0.03). Three-year progression-free survival: 90.9% (95% CI 50.8% to 98.7 %) gynecologic, 53.3% (95% CI 17.7% to 79.6%) gastrointestinal. Three-year overall survival: 90.9% (95% CI 50.8% to 98.7%) gynecologic, 76.2% (95% CI 33.2% to 93.5%) gastrointestinal.

CONCLUSION

Ongoing international collaborative research may further define associations between chemotherapy regimens and survival.

Outcomes of non-high grade serous carcinoma after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for advanced-stage ovarian cancer: a Korean gynecologic oncology group study (OV 1708)

Background

Outcomes of patients with ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) have been widely studied, but there is limited information on the outcomes of patients with non-HGSC. This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of NAC in non-HGSC patients with advanced-stage ovarian cancer.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent NAC for advanced stage non-HGSC between 2002 and 2017 in 17 institutions. Demographics, surgical outcomes, and survival rates were evaluated according to histological subtypes.

Results

A total of 154 patients were included in this study, comprising 20 cases (13.0%) of mucinous adenocarcinoma, 31 cases (20.1%) of endometrioid adenocarcinoma, 28 (18.2%) cases of clear cell carcinoma, 29 (18.8%) cases of low-grade serous carcinoma and 12 cases (7.8%) of carcinosarcoma. Complete remission/partial remission after the third cycle of NAC was achieved in 100 (64.9%) patients and optimal debulking surgery (residual disease ≤1 cm) at interval debulking surgery was achieved in 103 (66.9%) patients. The most common reason for performing NAC was high tumor burden (n = 106, 68.8%). The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 14.3 months and median overall survival (OS) was 52.9 months. In multivariate analyses, mucinous and clear cell carcinoma were negative prognostic factors for both PFS (p = 0.007 and p = 0.017, respectively) and OS (p = 0.002 and p = 0.013, respectively).

Conclusions

In this study, poor survival outcomes were observed in patients with mucinous and clear cell carcinoma undergoing NAC. Different treatment strategies are urgently required to improve survival outcomes for this disease subset.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-019-5514-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Prevalence, spectrum, and founder effect of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in epithelial ovarian cancer from the Middle East

Germline mutations in breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 and 2 have previously been estimated to contribute to 13-18% of all epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). To characterize the prevalence and effect of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in Middle Eastern EOC patients, BRCA mutation screening was performed in 407 unselected ovarian cancer patients using targeted capture and/or Sanger sequencing. A total of 19 different pathogenic variants (PVs) were identified in 50 (12.3%) women. Nine PVs were recurrent accounting for 80% of cases with PVs (40/50) in the entire cohort. Founder mutation analysis revealed only two mutations (c.4136_4137delCT and c.1140dupG) sharing the same haplotypes thus representing founder mutations in the Middle Eastern population. Identification of the mutation spectrum, prevalence, and founder effect in Middle Eastern population facilitates genetic counseling, risk assessment, and development of a cost-effective screening strategy.

When Is "Type I" Ovarian Cancer Not "Type I"? Indications of an Out-Dated Dichotomy

The dualistic classification of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) into “type I” and “type II” is widely applied in the research setting; it is used as a convenient way of conceptualizing different mechanisms of tumorigenesis. However, this classification conflicts with recent molecular insights of the etiology of EOC. Molecular and cell of origin studies indicate that while type II tumors could be classed together, type I tumors are not homogenous, even within the histological types, and can have poor clinical outcomes. Type II high grade serous carcinoma and type I low grade serous carcinomas best fit the description of the dualistic model, with different precursors, and distinct molecular profiles. However, endometriosis-associated cancers should be considered a separate group, without assuming an indolent course or type I genetic profiles. Furthermore, the very clear differences between mucinous ovarian carcinomas and other type I tumors, including an uncertain origin, and heterogeneous mutational spectrum and clinical behavior, indicate a non-type I classification for this entity. The impression that only type II carcinomas are aggressive, have poor prognosis, and carry TP53 mutations is an unhelpful misinterpretation of the dualistic classification. In this review, we revisit the history of EOC classification, and discuss the misunderstanding of the dualistic model by comparing the clinical and molecular heterogeneity of EOC types. We also emphasize that all EOC research, both basic and clinical, should consider the subtypes as different diseases beyond the type I/type II model, and base novel therapies on the molecular characteristics of each tumor.

Retro-inverso follicle-stimulating hormone peptide-mediated polyethylenimine complexes for targeted ovarian cancer gene therapy

BACKGROUND

The development of nanoparticle drug delivery systems with targeted ligands has the potential to increase treatment efficiency in ovarian cancer.

METHODS

We developed a 21-amino acid peptide, YTRDLVYGDPARPGIQGTGTF (L-FP21) conjugated to polyethylenimine (PEI) and methoxy polyethylene glycol (mPEG) to prepare a nanoparticle drug vehicle to target follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) in ovarian cancer. At the same time, we optimized the ligand of the nanoparticle vehicle using D-peptides, which consist of D-amino acids (D-FP21). Nanoparticle vehicles carrying the therapeutic gene plasmid growth-regulated oncogene alpha (pGRO-α) short hairpin RNA (shRNA) (FP21-PEG-PEI/pGRO-α) were prepared for further investigation.

RESULTS

Compared with L-FP21, D-FP21 exhibited improved biological stability and higher uptake rate for FSHR-expressing ovarian cancer cells. The cytotoxicity of the L, D-FP21-PEG-PEI/pGRO-α complexes were significantly lower than that of the PEI/pGRO-α complex. The nanoparticle drug with the targeted ligand showed higher transfection efficiencies and improved anti-proliferation effects for ovarian cancer cells than that without the targeted ligand (mPEG-PEI/pGRO-α). Furthermore, an in vivo evaluation of an antitumor assay indicated that D-FP21-PEG-PEI/pGRO-α inhibited the growth of tumor spheroids considerably more than L-FP21-PEG-PEI/pGRO-α; their tumor inhibition rates were 58.5% and 33.3%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

D-FP21-PEG-PEI/plasmid DNA is a safe and efficient gene delivery vehicle for ovarian cancer targeted therapy.

Recent Insights into Mucinous Ovarian Carcinoma

Ovarian mucinous tumors represent a group of rare neoplasms with a still undefined cell of origin but with an apparent progression from benign to borderline to carcinoma. Even though these tumors are different from the other histological subtypes of epithelial ovarian neoplasms, they are still treated with a similar chemotherapeutic approach. Here, we review its pathogenesis, molecular alterations, (differential) diagnosis, clinical presentation and current treatment, and how recent molecular and biological information on this tumor might lead to better and more specific clinical management of patients with mucinous ovarian carcinoma.

Massively parallel sequencing analysis of mucinous ovarian carcinomas: genomic profiling and differential diagnoses

OBJECTIVE

Mucinous ovarian cancer (MOC) is a rare type of epithelial ovarian cancer resistant to standard chemotherapy regimens. We sought to characterize the repertoire of somatic mutations in MOCs and to define the contribution of massively parallel sequencing to the classification of tumors diagnosed as primary MOCs.

METHODS

Following gynecologic pathology and chart review, DNA samples obtained from primary MOCs and matched normal tissues/blood were subjected to whole-exome (n = 9) or massively parallel sequencing targeting 341 cancer genes (n = 15). Immunohistochemical analysis of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, PTEN, ARID1A/BAF250a, and the DNA mismatch (MMR) proteins MSH6 and PMS2 was performed for all cases. Mutational frequencies of MOCs were compared to those of high-grade serous ovarian cancers (HGSOCs) and mucinous tumors from other sites.

RESULTS

MOCs were heterogeneous at the genetic level, frequently harboring TP53 (75%) mutations, KRAS (71%) mutations and/or CDKN2A/B homozygous deletions/mutations (33%). Although established criteria for diagnosis were employed, four cases harbored mutational and immunohistochemical profiles similar to those of endometrioid carcinomas, and one case for colorectal or endometrioid carcinoma. Significant differences in the frequencies of KRAS, TP53, CDKN2A, FBXW7, PIK3CA and/or APC mutations between the confirmed primary MOCs (n = 19) and HGSOCs, mucinous gastric and/or mucinous colorectal carcinomas were found, whereas no differences in the 341 genes studied between MOCs and mucinous pancreatic carcinomas were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that the assessment of mutations affecting TP53, KRAS, PIK3CA, ARID1A and POLE, and DNA MMR protein expression may be used to further aid the diagnosis and treatment decision-making of primary MOC.

GDF15 predict platinum response during first-line chemotherapy and can act as a complementary diagnostic serum biomarker with CA125 in epithelial ovarian cancer

BACKGROUND

Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) has attracted much interest as a novel biomarker for epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC). Research focus has been directed at GDF15 as a diagnostic detection, while the prognostic determination of GDF15 in EOC patients remains to be clearly elucidated. The present study aimed to investigate GDF15 level relative to clinicopathological characters, chemoresponse, and clinical outcome of EOC patients.

METHODS

Serum from 122 patients with primary diagnosed EOC were analyzed for GDF15 and serum cancer antigen 125 (CA125). All cases were treated with debulking surgery and first-line chemotherapy, and samples were obtained just before debulking surgical treatment and first-line chemotherapy. Subsequently, clinical characteristics, responses to chemotherapy and progression-free survival (PFS) were recorded.

RESULTS

Increasing levels of serum GDF15 was significantly associated with FIGO stage and lymphonodus metastasis. GDF15 and CA125 detection are complementary in the diagnosis of EOC and can be simultaneously profiled. The chemo-resistant EOC patients (median, 1225.0 pg/mL) showed significantly higher GDF15 than chemo-sensitive patients (median, 824.2 pg/mL; P = 0.013). Highly expressed GDF15 was an independent negative prognostic indicator in the PFS (P = 0.026) of the 122 EOC cases in the multivariate analysis. Additionally, patients with high level of serum CA125 significantly associated with suboptimal (P = 0.043) debulking surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results provide valuable evidence that GDF15 is related with first-line chemo-resistance, with highly expressed GDF15 being a strong and an independent indicator of shorter PFS in EOC patients.