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Encyclopedia of Cancer pp 1–3Cite as

Granulosa Cell Tumors

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Definition

Granulosa cell tumors (GCTs) are rare forms of ovarian cancer derived from the somatic cells that immediately surround the developing oocyte. Initial prognosis is favorable, yet a propensity for late relapse requires prolonged observation. GCTs represent only 2–5 % of all ovarian tumors, yet are the most common type of malignant sex cord stromal cell tumor. This latter, broad classification of heterogeneous tumors includes epithelial cells derived from the ovarian stroma, the rete ovarii, and developing ovarian follicles.

Characteristics

GCTs typically represent slow-growing neoplasms, with 5–25 % of these tumors exhibiting malignant potential. In particular, GCTs can be differentiated from cancers originating from the ovarian surface epithelium (OSE) in that the former typically exhibit enhanced steroidogenic potential associated with gonadotropin responsiveness and thus are considered an endocrine tumor. GCTs frequently produce elevated levels of estrogen that initiates...

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References

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See Also

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA

    Alan L. Johnson

  2. Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA

    Dori C. Woods & Alisha M. Truman

Authors
  1. Alan L. Johnson
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  2. Dori C. Woods
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  3. Alisha M. Truman
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dori C. Woods .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Abt. Tumorgenetik, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Heidelberg, Germany

    Manfred Schwab

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© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Johnson, A.L., Woods, D.C., Truman, A.M. (2014). Granulosa Cell Tumors. In: Schwab, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cancer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_2508-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_2508-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27841-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Biomedicine and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences

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