European Journal of Gynaecological Oncology (EJGO) is published by IMR Press from Volume 40 Issue 1 (2019). Previous articles were published by another publisher on a subscription basis, and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with S.O.G.
Androgens and ovarian cancers
Ovarian cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies in women. Numerous studies indicate that the steroid hormones have been implicated in the etiology and/or progression of epithelial ovarian cancer and support a role for androgens, including: I) androgen receptor (AR) is present in primate ovaries at almost all stages of the menstrual cycle and involve folliculogenesis and ovulation; 2) high androgen serum levels show high risk of ovarian cancer and ovarian cancer occurring after menopause when the balance of ovarian steroid production shifts from estrogens to androgens; 3) ovarian cancer tissue shows a 90% AR positive rate and is associated with favorable outcomes; 4) androgens promote or inhibit ovarian cancer cell growth; 5) chemotherapy decreases androgen production from cancer cells. This review seeks to summarize our current understanding about the roles of androgens, AR and AR coregulators in the initiation and/or progression of ovarian cancers.