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. 2008 Nov;9(11):1108-11.
doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(08)70281-X.

Ovarian ageing, follicle depletion, and cancer: a hypothesis for the aetiology of epithelial ovarian cancer involving follicle depletion

Elizabeth R Smith  1 , Xiang-Xi Xu
Affiliations

Ovarian ageing, follicle depletion, and cancer: a hypothesis for the aetiology of epithelial ovarian cancer involving follicle depletion

Elizabeth R Smith et al. Lancet Oncol. 2008 Nov.

Abstract

The association between ovarian cancer risk and reproductive factors has been well established, and two main theories, incessant ovulation and gonadotropin stimulation, have been proposed to explain the mechanism. Recent studies using animal models of ovarian tumorigenesis, and analysis of ovarian tissues from prophylactic oophorectomies, suggest that depletion of ovarian follicles might underlie the epidemiological findings linking reproductive history and ovarian cancer risk.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Ovarian morphological changes in germ-cell-deficient Wv mice
(A) Mature wildtype-mouse ovary contains many germ cells and follicles at various stages of development. (B) Wv ovary from a same-age mouse is depleted of germ cells and follicles and epithelial morphological changes, including tubular adenomas, permeate the ovary.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Model depicting the hypothesis that germ-cell and follicle depletion underlies the aetiology of ovarian cancer risk associated with reproductive factors and menopause
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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