Proteomics in cancer screening and management in gynecologic cancer

Biomarkers are used routinely for population screening, disease diagnosis and prognosis, monitoring of therapy, and prediction of therapeutic response. Unfortunately, most biomarkers have low sensitivity and specificity and little predictive value. Novel techniques for better screening and early diagnosis of ovarian cancer are urgently needed. Proteomics, the study of the cellular proteins and their activation states, integrates some fundamental techniques, including high-throughput protein purification and profiling, genomic and proteomic databases, and mass spectrometry. In oncology, proteomics will contribute greatly to our understanding of gene functions in tumor development and provide information in clinical applications. This article reviews proteomic techniques and their potential applications in gynecologic cancer screening and management.