Klin Onkol 2006; 19(2): 124-129.
Cancer of the cervix is the second most common cancer among women worldwide. In spite of welldefined premalignant lesions as well as available and effective methods of their detection, the incidence of the tumour is still high. The incidence of cervical cancer in Czech women is much higher than in other developed countries. Ovarian cancer represents the most lethal malignancy among gynecological tumours. Etiology is still largely unknown. A multistep process is supposed, with accumulation of genetic alterations concerning factors with key role in cell regulation - oncogenes, tumor-suppressor genes and mismatch-repair genes.
Cytogenetic and molecular genetic characteristics of the tumours in correlation with other molecular biological parameters increase knowledge of carcinogenesis. The final aim is to create a predictive model for clinical practice.
The review presents contemporary information about genetic aspects of cervical and ovarian cancer.
