Molecular Subtyping of Serous Ovarian Cancer Based on Multi-omics Data

Classification of ovarian cancer by morphologic features has a limited effect on serous ovarian cancer (SOC) treatment and prognosis. Here, we proposed a new system for SOC subtyping based on the molecular categories from the Cancer Genome Atlas project. We analyzed the DNA methylation, protein, microRNA, and gene expression of 1203 samples from 599 serous ovarian cancer patients. These samples were divided into nine subtypes based on RNA-seq data, and each subtype was found to be associated with the activation and/or suppression of the following four biological processes: immunoactivity, hormone metabolic, mesenchymal development and the MAPK signaling pathway. We also identified four DNA methylation, two protein expression, six microRNA sequencing and four pathway subtypes. By integrating the subtyping results across different omics platforms, we found that most RNA-seq subtypes overlapped with one or two subtypes from other omics data. Our study sheds light on the molecular mechanisms of SOC and provides a new perspective for the more accurate stratification of its subtypes.