Alterations in lipid metabolism and blood profile in gynecological cancers – potential strategies in diagnosis and treatment

Gynecological cancers (GCs), especially endometrial, cervical and ovarian cancers, represent a major health burden due to their increasing incidence and poor treatment outcomes, particularly in advanced stages. Numerous papers suggest that reprogramming of lipid metabolism plays an important role in the development and progression of GCs. In this review, we discuss the alterations in lipid metabolism, focusing on a) serum/plasma lipid profiles and changes in membrane lipid composition in GCs patients, b) dysregulation of fatty acid uptake and β-oxidation by GCs cells, and c) upregulation of lipogenic enzymes in cancer tissue of GCs patients and GCs cells lines. It appears that lipid alterations in the development and progression of GCs are very complex and cancer type specific. This is due to the complexity of a) the structure and properties of lipids, b) the variability between different human cancer types, and c) the need for a comprehensive set of clinical data. Moreover, the review highlights alterations of lipid metabolism as potential diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in the treatment of GC patients. Further studies are still needed to draw clear conclusions about the relationship between abnormalities in lipid metabolism and development of GCs and to bridge basic research and practice.