Table 2 Characteristics of ovarian clear cell carcinomas and potential molecular targets

Higher incidence among Asian women, particularly Japanese women

ARID1A is mutated in 46 % of CCC patients (loss of function)

[62, 85]

Clear cell carcinoma has a strong association with endometriosis

PIK3CA is mutated in 33 % of CCC patients (activation mutation)

[53]

Slow tumor growth, facilitating early detection

Annexin A4 is expressed in almost all CCC patients

[20, 22]

Strong resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy

mTOR is overexpressed in 80 % of CCC patients

[63]

Promising regimens with favorable and stable response for ovarian clear cell carcinoma have remained elusive

HNF-1β is expressed in almost all CCC patients

[52, 64, 71–73]

Low frequency of BRCA1/2 mutations

ZNF217 is overexpressed in 20 % of CCC patients

[65]

Low frequency of p53 mutations (15 %)

VEGF is strongly expressed in both early and advanced stages of CCC

[66]

EGFR is overexpressed in 60 % of CCC patients

[59]

MET is overexpressed in approximately 20 % of CCC patients

[85]

HER2 is overexpressed in 14–42.9 % of CCC patients

[52, 53]

PPMID expression is observed in 10 % of CCC patients

[68]

PPP2R1A is overexpressed in 7 % of CCC patients

[52]

KRAS is overexpressed in 5 % of CCC patients

[52]