Molecular basis of gynecologic diseases

Gynecologic diseases in general are diseases that involved the female reproductive track. These diseases include benign and malignant tumors, pregnancy-related diseases, infection, and endocrine diseases. Among them, malignant tumors are the most common cause of death. In recent years, the causes of some of these diseases have been elucidated. For example, human papillomavirus infection has been shown to be one of the major etiological factors associated with cervical cancer. Inactivation of the BRCA1 tumor suppressor gene has been implicated in hereditary ovarian cancer. In spite of these findings, the molecular basis of most gynecologic diseases remains largely unknown. In this chapter, we will focus on benign and malignant tumors of the female reproductive organs, as well as pregnancy-related diseases, which are relatively well understood on a molecular basis.