Hereditary ovarian cancers: state of the art

The identification of a mutation in ovarian cancer (OC) predisposition genes plays a crucial role in the management of cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. In healthy carriers, the detection of a specific mutation might justify more intensive and personalised surveillance programmes, chemopreventive measures, and prophylactic surgeries. Moreover, the identification of a mutation in affected OC patients might provide fundamental knowledge of the tumour pathogenesis, thus guiding treatment choices. This is a comprehensive review of the molecular pathways involved in the pathogenesis of hereditary ovarian cancers, the clinical-pathological features of these tumours, and the potential implications for their prevention and clinical management.