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| Figure 1: A working model of ovarian cancer progression. During ovarian cancer progression, epithelial ovarian cancer cells growing on the surface of the ovary
undergo EMT to attain motile functions required for cancer metastasis. Rupture of the ovarian tumor result in shedding of tumor cells into the peritoneum where they
survive as cellular aggregates/spheroids. These spheroids undergo changes into invasive mesenchymal phenotype to sustain survival and motility. Cancer spheroids
and the surrounding mesothelial and infiltrating blood cells secrete cytokines and growth factors. (e.g., VEGF, TNF-a, IL-6, IL-8, bFGF, lysophosphatidic acid, etc.) in the form of as cites in the peritoneum. The secreted factors form an autocrine/paracrine loop that initiate and sustain EMT to facilitate the invasiveness of carcinoma spheroids until they find a secondary attachment site. Growth on the omentum however, requires MET to sustain cancer growth. Reference No. 10 (With permission from John Wiley & Sons- Publisher) |
