Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynaecological cancer and the eighth most common female cancer. The early diagnosis of ovarian cancer remains a clinical problem despite the significant development of technology. Nearly 70% of patients with ovarian cancer are diagnosed with stages III–IV metastatic disease. Reliable diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers are currently lacking. Ovarian cancer recurrence and resistance to chemotherapy pose vital problems and translate into poor outcomes. Cancer stem cells appear to be responsible for tumour recurrence resulting from chemotherapeutic resistance. These cells are also crucial for tumour initiation due to the ability to self-renew, differentiate, avoid immune destruction, and promote inflammation and angiogenesis. Studies have confirmed an association between CSC occurrence and resistance to chemotherapy, subsequent metastases, and cancer relapses. Therefore, the elimination of CSCs appears important for overcoming drug resistance and improving prognoses. This review focuses on the expression of selected ovarian CSC markers, including CD133, CD44, CD24, CD117, and aldehyde dehydrogenase 1, which show potential prognostic significance. Some markers expressed on the surface of CSCs correlate with clinical features and can be used for the diagnosis and prognosis of ovarian cancer. However, due to the heterogeneity and plasticity of CSCs, the determination of specific CSC phenotypes is difficult.
卵巢癌是最致命的妇科恶性肿瘤，也是女性第八大常见癌症。尽管技术取得显著进展，卵巢癌的早期诊断仍是临床难题。近70%的卵巢癌患者在确诊时已处于III-IV期转移阶段。目前尚缺乏可靠的诊断和预后生物标志物。卵巢癌的复发及化疗耐药性构成关键问题，并导致不良预后。癌症干细胞似乎是化疗耐药导致肿瘤复发的根源。这些细胞因具备自我更新、分化、逃避免疫清除、促进炎症和血管生成的能力，在肿瘤发生过程中亦起关键作用。研究已证实癌症干细胞的出现与化疗耐药、后续转移及癌症复发存在关联。因此，消除癌症干细胞对克服耐药性和改善预后具有重要意义。本综述聚焦于特定卵巢癌干细胞标志物的表达，包括CD133、CD44、CD24、CD117及乙醛脱氢酶1，这些标志物显示出潜在的预后价值。部分表达于癌症干细胞表面的标志物与临床特征相关，可用于卵巢癌的诊断和预后评估。然而，由于癌症干细胞的异质性和可塑性，确定其特定表型仍存在困难。
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家