JBUON 2016; 21(2): 301-306 ISSN: 1107-0625, online ISSN: 2241-6293
Albiona Stampoliou1, Petroula Arapantoni-Dadioti2, Kitty Pavlakis3
1MSc Programme «Research on Female Reproduction» Athens University Medical School & Midwifery Department, T.E.I. of Athens, Athens; 2Pathology Department, «Metaxa» Cancer Hospital, Piraeus; 3Pathology Department, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece
Summary
Purpose: Endometrial cancer is a very common type of cancer in females worldwide. Advances in diagnosis and treatment have not decreased the incidence of endometrial cancer. Lately, research has been focused on revealing the molecular and genetic characteristics of endometrial cancer in order to provide new insights in the biology of this enti- ty, leading hopefully to innovating therapies. Research has revealed that epigenetic modifications govern endometrial carcinogenesis. In this review, the epigenetic mechanisms that are involved in endometrial cancer as well as the differ- ences between the different types of endometrial cancer are discussed. The review also refers to the putative therapeutic benefits that hopefully can arise.
Key words: endometrial cancer, endometrioid, epigenetic, methylation