Immunity of human epithelial ovarian carcinoma: the paradigm of immune suppression in cancer

Vincent Lavoué,Fabrice Foucher,Marc-Antoine Belaud-Rotureau,Veronique Catros,Sébastien Henno,Jean Levêque,Aurélie Thédrez,Florian Cabillic,Vincent Jauffret

doi:10.1186/1479-5876-11-147

Abstract

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is a significant cause of cancer-related mortality in women, and there has been no substantial decrease in the death rates due to EOC in the last three decades. Thus, basic knowledge regarding ovarian tumor cell biology is urgently needed to allow the development of innovative treatments for EOC. Traditionally, EOC has not been considered an immunogenic tumor, but there is evidence of an immune response to EOC in patients. Clinical data demonstrate that an antitumor immune response and immune evasion mechanisms are correlated with a better and lower survival, respectively, providing evidence for the immunoediting hypothesis in EOC. This review focuses on the immune response and immune suppression in EOC. The immunological roles of chemotherapy and surgery in EOC are also described. Finally, we detail pilot data supporting the efficiency of immunotherapy in the treatment of EOC and the emerging concept that immunomodulation aimed at counteracting the immunosuppressive microenvironment must be associated with immunotherapy strategies.

Highlights

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the fifth most common cancer among women and the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death among women in developing countries [1]
The majority of patients relapse within 16– 18 months following the end of treatment and die from the disease despite response to first-line therapy consisting of debulking surgery and chemotherapy [2,3]. 15% of patients die within the first year
We present an overview of the current understanding of the immune response and immune suppression in EOC

Summary

Introduction

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the fifth most common cancer among women and the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death among women in developing countries [1]. Immunotherapies aimed at increasing the host immune response or decreasing immunosuppression were tested in preclinical and clinical studies and are emerging as potential strategies to enhance classical EOC treatments. 2005 Association between intraepithelial T-cell infiltration (TIL CD3+) and patient survival (plus chemotherapeutic response)

Results

Conclusion