Roles of adipocytes and adipose-derived stem cells in the lipophilic metastasis of ovarian cancer / 中国肿瘤临床

ABSTRACT

Ovarian cancer is the most common cause of cancer-associated deaths among the gynecological malignancies. The 5-year survival rate of the patients is less than 30%. This high mortality rate is mainly due to the metastasis. Adipose-rich omentum is the main site of metastasis, suggesting that ovarian cancer may have the characteristic of "lipophilic" metastasis. Adipocytes and adipose-derived stem cells are the most important components of the omentum. These cell ssecrete cytokines and adipokines and modify glucose and lipid metabolism to induce migration of ovarian cancer cells to the omentum. Simultaneously, they create a suitable microenvironment for the metastasis and colonization of these cancer cells by interacting with vascular endothelial cells, tumor-associated macrophages, and cancer-associated fibroblasts. This article reviews the recent advances in the role of adipocytes and adipose-derived stem cells in the "lipophilic" metastasis of ovarian cancer, aiming at providing new ideas for preventing ovarian cancer metastases and improving the survival rate of patients with ovarian cancer.