EMERGING PROTIEN AND GENETIC BIOMARKERS FOR EARLY STAGE OF OVARIAN CANCER

Abstract

Ovarian cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality among women worldwide, largely due to its asymptomatic nature during early stages and late clinical detection. Standard treatment approaches, including surgical tumor debulking followed by systemic chemotherapy, often face limitations because a significant proportion of patients eventually develop chemoresistance, resulting in poor therapeutic outcomes and reduced survival rates. Consequently, there is an urgent need to identify reliable biomarkers that can improve early detection, predict disease progression, and guide therapeutic strategies. This review focuses on both established and emerging predictive biomarkers associated with ovarian cancer. It highlights commonly used diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers such as CA125, HE4, osteopontin, and vascular endothelial growth factor, while also discussing novel candidates including tumor mutation burden markers, DNA repair pathway components, and cell cycle regulatory genes. Furthermore, the review outlines advanced molecular and genomic technologies utilized in biomarker discovery, including transcription profiling, microRNA analysis, and whole genome approaches. These technologies contribute to a better understanding of ovarian cancer heterogeneity and molecular signaling pathways. Identifying and validating predictive biomarkers can enhance early diagnosis, facilitate personalized treatment, and improve patient prognosis, thereby offering promising prospects for more effective ovarian cancer management.