Epidemiologic paradigms for progress in ovarian cancer research

Excerpt

In the US, though ovarian cancer is the 11th most common cancer in women, it is the fifth most common cause of cancer death [1]. Despite the development of some personalized novel treatment approaches, survival has not substantially improved, in part due to the late stage at diagnosis in most patients. This decade has marked a very exciting time in ovarian cancer research with the paradigm-shifting understanding that ovarian cancer is not one disease, but comprises a constellation of different disease histotypes with varying etiology and pathways of development, characterized by distinct mutational profiles, cells of origin/ precursor lesions, and histology [2, 3]. As these changes in understanding become incorporated into epidemiologic research, we will make greater progress in reducing the incidence and mortality from this highly lethal cancer. Further showing the importance of ovarian cancer as a public health issue, congress designated funds to review the state of the science of ovarian cancer as part of the Gynecologic Cancer Education and Awareness Act (also known as Johanna’s law). In 2015, the Centers for Disease Control tasked the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to “make recommendations for public and private sector efforts that could facilitate progress in reducing the incidence of and the morbidity and mortality from ovarian cancer,” with an emphasis on advancing research on ovarian carcinogenesis across the cancer continuum [4]. …