Immunohistochemical Biomarkers as a Surrogate of Molecular Analysis in Ovarian Carcinomas: A Review of the Literature
Giacomo Santandrea, Simonetta Piana, Riccardo Valli, Magda Zanelli, Elisa Gasparini, Antonio De Leo, Vincenzo Dario Mandato, Andrea Palicelli
Abstract
The term "ovarian carcinoma" encompasses at least five different malignant neoplasms: high-grade serous carcinoma, low-grade serous carcinoma, endometrioid carcinoma, mucinous carcinoma, and clear cell carcinoma. These five histotypes demonstrated distinctive histological, molecular, and clinical features. The rise of novel target therapies and of a tailored oncological approach has demanded an integrated multidisciplinary approach in the setting of ovarian carcinoma. The need to implement a molecular-based classification in the worldwide diagnostic and therapeutic setting of ovarian cancer demanded a search for easy-to-use and cost-effective molecular-surrogate biomarkers, relying particularly on immunohistochemical analysis. The present review focuses on the role of immunohistochemistry as a surrogate of molecular analysis in the everyday diagnostic approach to ovarian carcinomas.