Ovarian carcinoma is one of most frequent cancer in women worldwide. Epithelial ovarian carcinoma is a group of neoplasms with different histologic pictures. Serous carcinoma is the most common type.
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) can undergo self-renewal and differentiation. EpCAM is a 40-kDa type I transmembrane glycoprotein composed of a large extracellular domain, one transmembrane region, and a small intracellular domain of 26 amino acids. It is abundantly expressed by the majority of human epithelial carcinomas, including colorectal, breast, lung, prostate, ovarian, and endometrial cancers. it is overexpressed in various neoplasms. Recent insights revealed that it is involved in promoting cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasiveness. It is used as a diagnostic and prognostic marker. EpCAM has also recently been identified as a marker for CSCs.
