Inflammation: A hidden path to breaking the spell of ovarian cancer

Epithelial ovarian cancer is a highly lethal gynecological cancer for which overall prognosis has remained poor over the past few decades. A number of theories have been postulated in an effort to explain the etiology of epithelial ovarian cancer, each of which has been both applauded and doubted. Of note, these theories likely are not mutually exclusive, as they all converge more or less on the role of inflammation in promoting ovarian tumorigenesis. In this review, we describe the latest studies on the role of inflammation in the initiation and progression of EOC from three major aspects: physiological functions of a normal ovary, potential involvement of the fallopian tube in the initiation of EOC, and the strong impact of the cellular microenvironment on the development of the disease.