Chapters authored
Ovarian Cancer: Molecular Classification and Targeted Therapy
Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecological cancer among women with an overall 5-year survival rate below 50% due to its asymptomatic nature, diagnosis at advanced stages, and a high recurrence rate after standard therapy in 70% of cases. Ovarian cancers are heterogenous cancers where each subtype possesses a varied morphology and biologic behavior. Accumulating evidence has identified each of these subtypes characterized with specific pathways activated in each along with specific gene alterations. For example, high-grade serous ovarian cancer is characterized by universal TP53 mutation, mucinous ovarian cancer with KRAS mutation and clear cell or endometrioid ovarian cancers with ARID1A mutations. With the current focus of molecular-targeted therapies for cancer, such druggable markers serve as excellent targets for precision therapy and combination therapy. This chapter, provides an overview of the critical molecular pathways activated in the ovarian cancer subtypes with its druggable targets studied in ovarian cancer. We also highlight the implications of miRNAs in chemoresistance and sensitivity in the regulation of ovarian cancer.
Part of the book: Ovarian Cancer
DNA Damage Repair Genes and Noncoding RNA in High-Grade Gliomas and Its Clinical Relevance
Gliomas are the most common malignant tumors originating from the glial cells in the central nervous system. Grades III and IV, considered high-grade gliomas occur at a lower incidence (1.5%) but have higher mortality. Several genomic alterations like IDH mutation, MGMT mutation, 1p19q Codeletion, and p53 mutations have been attributed to its pathogenicity. Recently, several noncoding RNAs have also been identified to alter the expression of crucial genes. Current chemotherapeutic drugs include temozolomide targeting hypermethylated MGMT, a DNA repair protein; or bevacizumab, which targets VEGF. This book chapter delves deeper into the DNA damage repair pathway including its correlation with survival and the regulation of these genes by noncoding RNAs. Novel therapeutic drugs being developed are also highlighted.
Part of the book: Central Nervous System Tumors