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The overall goal of this project is to molecularly classify human epithelial ovarian cancer so as to better understand the molecular etiology of the disease, predict clinical course, and tailor therapy. We propose to utilize expression profiling to determine: 1) the alterations in gene expression which are critical for the development of epithelial ovarian cancer; 2) gene expression patterns which can serve as potential prognostic and predictive markers of ovarian cancers; 3) the developmental relationship between benign cysts, low malignant potential tumors, and invasive ovarian cancers. To date we have established the “gold standard” for normal ovarian epithelium in ovarian cancer profiling projects; we have determined gene expression patterns, which demonstrate the differences and similarities of tumors of similar histologies from the endometrium and ovary; and conducted the largest expression profiling analysis of advanced ovarian cancer identifying a major activated pathway involving cellular motility and metastasis. This effort involves extensive collaborations with several extramural groups including Harvard, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and the Gynecologic Oncology Group.
