MicroRNAs (miRs) have been linked to carcinogenesis and can act as metastatic activators or suppressors. There is now ample evidence that circulating miRs can be used as biomarkers. This project is focused on ovarian (OC) and endometrial cancers (EC), respectively the deadliest and most frequent gynecologic malignancies.
The main challenge for physicians managing women with early-stage EC is when to opt for lymphadenectomy. Tools that are currently used are not accurate enough to identify women with increased risk of nodal metastases. Ballester's team recently found a relationship between the high expression of a set of 5 miRs in the primary tumor and nodal status.
OC is the leading cause of death from gynecological cancer. The prognosis depends on the response of the residual tumor mass to adjuvant chemotherapy. Currently, this response remains largely unpredictable and even difficult to monitor with CA125 measurements and current imaging techniques. Busson's team recently showed that the variation of plasma miR200b during primary treatment is predictive of progression-free survival (PFS).
The study involves 3 populations of participants :
* Patients with EC
* Patients with OC
* Patients undergoing surgery for benign pelvic lesions (control population)
