Ovarian cancer and the microbiome – Review

Manole COJOCARU
Department of Physiology and Immunology, “Titu Maiorescu” University, Faculty of Medicine, Bucharest, Romania

Abstract
Cancer is one of the most serious public health issues in the world. Ovarian cancer is the most lethal malignancy among gynecological cancers worldwide. Ovarian cancer is a major threat to female health, ranking seventh in the most commonly diagnosed cancer
among women worldwide.
There is a complex association between cancers and microbes.There are few studies explored the alterations of gut microbiota in ovarian cancer patients. Recent studies have indicated that many microorganisms are involved in the development of ovarian cancer. The gut microbiome has many roles in maintenance of human health, and has been in- creasingly linked with many disease states, including cancer.
Microbiome abnormalities are increasingly associated with diseases, including can- cer development, and response to therapies. Some studies have shown the relationship between microbiome changes and ovarian cancer.
The purpose of this review was to analyze the complex associations between ovarian cancer, and the microbiota, specifically bacterial microbes.We discuss the possible roles of vaginal microbiota in carcinogenesis, highlighting the relationship of micro-orga- nisms in ovarian cancer.
Therapeutic strategies targeting the gut microbiota may be beneficial for the clinical treatment of ovarian cancer.
Keywords:
vaginal microbiome, ovarian cancer, intestinal microbiota