Recent Advances in Ovarian Cancer Treatment

Abstract

Ovarian cancer is a group of malignant tumors of various histological types. In this article, we discuss the mostfrequently occurring epithelial ovarian malignant tumor (ovarian cancer). Ovarian cancer tends to metastasize tothe peritoneum at an early stage, while symptoms do not appear until a progressed stage. Furthermore, an effectivecancer screening method has not been established. Therefore, most cases of ovarian cancer at the time of diagnosisare unresectable and advanced. Even in advanced cases with intra-abdominal metastases, an active mass reductionsurgery is recommended to improve the prognosis. Such aggressive surgical procedures often require a multidisciplinary approach, including gastroenterology and urology. Pharmacotherapy, mainly with cytotoxic agents, isthe mainstay of treatment for advanced ovarian cancer. In addition, angiogenesis inhibitors and molecular targetedagents that utilize double-stranded DNA repair deficiency (homologous recombination repair deficiency) havebeen developed for ovarian cancer and are expected to improve treatment outcomes. Despite remarkable progressin ovarian cancer treatment in recent years, many patients still suffer from unfortunate outcomes. As stated in theJapanese 3rd Basic Plan for the Promotion of Cancer Control, providing holistic support to these patients’ dailylives is also an essential element of ovarian cancer treatment.