Despite significant effort and research funds, @entity43 remains a @entity66 . There are no effective screening methods that discover early stage disease; the majority of @entity1 are diagnosed with @entity1442 . Treatment modalities consist primarily of radical debulking surgery followed by @entity3907 and @entity902 -based chemotherapy. Newer therapies including limited targeted agents and intraperitoneal delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs have improved disease-free intervals, but failed to yield long-lasting cures in most @entity1 . Chemotherapeutic resistance, particularly in the recurrent setting, plagues the disease. Targeting the pathways and mechanisms behind the development of @entity43 could lead to significant improvement in @entity1 outcomes. In many @entity5 , including blood and other @entity5 , there is a subgroup of @entity5 cells, separate from the bulk population, called @entity5 stem cells (CSCs). These CSCs are thought to be the cause of @entity3 , recurrence and resistance. However, to date, ovarian CSCs have been difficult to identify, isolate, and target. It is felt by many investigators that finding a putative ovarian CSC and a chemotherapeutic agent to target it could be the key to a cure for this @entity66 . This review will focus on recent advances in this arena and discuss some of the controversies surrounding the concept.

XXXX stem cells: Can targeted therapy lead to improved progression-free survival?

@entity43 :: ('MESH:D010051', 'Disease') :: ['chemoresistance in ovarian cancer', 'epithelial ovarian cancer'] @entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'patient'] @entity66 :: ('MESH:D004194', 'Disease') :: ['deadly disease', 'very deadly disease'] @entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['tumor', 'solid tumors', 'cancer', 'malignancies'] @entity3907 :: ('MESH:C080625', 'Chemical') :: ['taxane'] @entity1442 :: ('MESH:D020178', 'Disease') :: ['advanced disease'] @entity3 :: ('MESH:D009362', 'Disease') :: ['metastasis'] @entity902 :: ('MESH:D010984', 'Chemical') :: ['platinum']
@entity43 :: (MESH:D010051,Disease) :: ['Ovarian cancer']
