Etiology of ovarian cancer: a proposed mechanism

The majority of ovarian cancers are derived from ovarian surface epithelial cells that are sequestered in inclusion cysts within the ovarian stroma. W e propose that the Fas/Fas ligand system is responsible for the normal elim ination of these inclusion cysts through apoptosis, thereby removing potent ial sites of ovarian tumors. Furthermore, we hypothesize that the failure o f the Fas/Fas ligand's apoptotic signaling mechanism leads to the persisten ce of these inclusion cysts in the stroma, and the onset of ovarian tumorig enesis.