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Small-Cell Carcinoma of the Ovary, Hypercalcemic Type-Genetics, New Treatment Targets, and Current Management Guidelines.

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

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Type

Article

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Authors

Tischkowitz, Marc 
Banerjee, Susana 
Hendricks, William PD  ORCID logo  https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7192-8699

Abstract

Small-cell carcinoma of the ovary, hypercalcemic type (SCCOHT) is a rare and highly aggressive ovarian malignancy. In almost all cases, it is associated with somatic and often germline pathogenic variants in SMARCA4, which encodes for the SMARCA4 protein (BRG1), a subunit of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex. Approximately 20% of human cancers possess pathogenic variants in at least one SWI/SNF subunit. Because of their role in regulating many important cellular processes including transcriptional control, DNA repair, differentiation, cell division, and DNA replication, SWI/SNF complexes with mutant subunits are thought to contribute to cancer initiation and progression. Fewer than 500 cases of SCCOHT have been reported in the literature and approximately 60% are associated with hypercalcemia. SCCOHT primarily affects females under 40 years of age who usually present with symptoms related to a pelvic mass. SCCOHT is an aggressive cancer, with long-term survival rates of 30% in early-stage cases. Although various treatment approaches have been proposed, there is no consensus on surveillance and therapeutic strategy. An international group of multidisciplinary clinicians and researchers recently formed the International SCCOHT Consortium to evaluate current knowledge and propose consensus surveillance and therapeutic recommendations, with the aim of improving outcomes. Here, we present an overview of the genetics of this cancer, provide updates on new treatment targets, and propose management guidelines for this challenging cancer.

Description

Keywords

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols, Carcinoma, Small Cell, Chemotherapy, Adjuvant, Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly, DNA Helicases, Female, Gynecology, Humans, Hypercalcemia, Medical Oncology, Mutation, Nuclear Proteins, Ovarian Neoplasms, Ovariectomy, Ovary, Practice Guidelines as Topic, Radiotherapy, Adjuvant, Stem Cell Transplantation, Survival Rate, Transcription Factors, Treatment Outcome

Journal Title

Clin Cancer Res

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1078-0432
1557-3265

Volume Title

26

Publisher

American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)

Rights

All rights reserved
Sponsorship
European Research Council (310018)
Eve Appeal research charity