High-grade serous carcinoma

HGSC is distinct from low-grade serous carcinoma (LGSC) which arises from ovarian tissue, is less aggressive and is present in stage I ovarian cancer where tumours are localised to the ovary. Although originally thought to arise from the squamous epithelial cell layer covering the ovary, HGSC is now though to originate in the Fallopian tube epithelium. HGSC is much more invasive than LGSC with a higher fatality rate - although it is more sensitive to platinum-based chemotherapy, possibly due to its rapid growth rate. In rare cases, HGSCs can develop from LGSCs, but generally the two types arise independently of each other.

High-grade serous carcinoma

HGSC is distinct from low-grade serous carcinoma (LGSC) which arises from ovarian tissue, is less aggressive and is present in stage I ovarian cancer where tumours are localised to the ovary. Although originally thought to arise from the squamous epithelial cell layer covering the ovary, HGSC is now though to originate in the Fallopian tube epithelium. HGSC is much more invasive than LGSC with a higher fatality rate - although it is more sensitive to platinum-based chemotherapy, possibly due to its rapid growth rate. In rare cases, HGSCs can develop from LGSCs, but generally the two types arise independently of each other.