Epigenomics of Ovarian Cancer and Its Chemoprevention

Abstract Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy. Lack of early detection markers and the development of drug resistance following chemotherapy are the main obstacles to effective treatment strategies. Despite advances in cancer research and treatment, survival statistics have remained largely unchanged for many years. Genetic alterations alone cannot account for the complexity of ovarian cancer. The potential reversibility of epigenetic mechanisms makes them attractive candidates for the prevention and treatment of ovarian carcinoma. Detection of the epigenetic signature of each cancer cell may be useful in the identification of candidate biomarkers for disease detection, classification, and monitoring and may also facilitate personalized cancer treatment. Herein we summarize the current developments in epigenetic research in ovarian cancer and evaluate the potential role of epigenetic markers as diagnostic and prognostic tools. Furthermore, novel epigenetic therapies that target cancer cells, reactivate tumor-suppressor genes, and resensitize tumor cells to chemotherapy, will be discussed.