Differential diagnosis and clinical relevance of ovarian carcinoma subtypes

The five main subtypes of ovarian surface epithelial carcinoma (high-grade serous, low-grade serous, endometrioid, clear cell and mucinous) are different diseases, with differences in genetic and environmental risk factors, precursor lesions, molecular events during oncogenesis, patterns of spread and response to treatment. With recent advances in surgical pathology, it is possible to reproducibly diagnose these subtypes in routine surgical pathology practice. This review examines these subtypes of ovarian carcinoma, focusing on differential diagnosis, molecular features and current treatment strategies. The increasing understanding of the molecular abnormalities associated with each subtype is leading to exploration and introduction of more subtype-specific treatment of ovarian carcinoma.