Exploring the impact of exercise on women with ovarian cancer : a call for more methodologically standardized RCTs to enable a realistic systematic review

Abstract

Ovarian cancer is the seventh most commonly occurring cancer in women globally and the leading cause of mortality among gynaecological malignancies in developed countries, with more than 290,000 women diagnosed in 2018. It is primarily classified by histology into at least five distinct sub-types, each characterized by unique risk factors, cellular composition, clinical features, and therapeutic responses. Generally, ovarian cancers fall into categories such as epithelial, sex cord-stromal, and germ cell tumors. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), ovarian cancer is classified into twelve types, including epithelial tumors (e.g., serous, mucinous, endometrioid, clear-cell), mesenchymal tumors, mixed epithelial and mesenchymal tumors, sex-cord stromal tumors, and germ cell tumors. The most prevalent subtype is high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC). Staging, as per the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) system, ranges from Stage I (localized) to Stage IV (metastasized).