AKT1 gene amplification as a biomarker of treatment response in ovarian cancer: Mounting evidence of a therapeutic target

Epithelial ovarian tumors, in particular high-grade serous cancers (HGSC), are characteristically associated with highly rearranged genomes and extensive somatic copy number alterations (SCNA). Analyses of large patient cohorts reveal consistent patterns of SCNA across cancer types [ [1] Zack T.I. Schumacher S.E. Carter S.L. Cherniack A.D. Saksena G. Tabak B. et al. Pan-cancer patterns of somatic copy number alteration. Nat Genet: Nature Publishing Group, 2013: 1-10 Google Scholar ]. Numerous studies have sought therapeutic targets and clinical associations with SCNA in ovarian cancer [ [2] Despierre E. Lambrechts D. Neven P. Amant F. Lambrechts S. Vergote I. The molecular genetic basis of ovarian cancer and its roadmap towards a better treatment. Gynecol Oncol. 2010; : 358-365 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (48) Google Scholar ]. However, prognostic or predictive SCNA are yet to deliver clinical utility as predictive markers for sensitivity to platinum-based chemotherapy or molecularly targeted therapies.