Dendritic cell immunotherapy in ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is one of the most frequent gynecological malignancies. However, as there is no effective screening method to detect early disease, it is usually only diagnosed when already widespread in the abdomen. The majority of patients diagnosed with advanced-stage disease will relapse and require additional therapy. In the search for additional effective treatments for the management of recurrent disease, researchers have focused on the potential usefulness of immunotherapeutic modulation by administering autologous immune cells, such as dendritic cells (DCs), to stimulate antitumor host responses. With the ultimate goal of improved survival, this review addresses mechanisms in ovarian cancer that may limit the expansion of antitumor immunity, discusses the parameters to be considered for optimal DC immunotherapy, outlines evaluation methodology used to monitor the success of treatment regimens and reviews reported DC immunotherapy trials in ovarian cancer.