# Alterations in lipid metabolism and blood profile in gynecological cancers – potential strategies in diagnosis and treatment **Authors:** Yelyzaveta Razghonova, Anna Abacjew-Chmylko, Monika Czapiewska, Dariusz Wydra, Julian Swierczynski, Adriana Mika, Tomasz Sledzinski PMC · DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2026.1741759 · Frontiers in Physiology · 2026-02-16 ## TL;DR This review explores how changes in lipid metabolism in gynecological cancers could lead to new diagnostic and treatment strategies. ## Contribution The paper systematically reviews lipid metabolism alterations in gynecological cancers, highlighting their potential for diagnosis and treatment. ## Key findings - Lipid metabolism alterations are complex and specific to different gynecological cancer types. - Dysregulation of fatty acid uptake and β-oxidation is observed in gynecological cancer cells. - Upregulation of lipogenic enzymes in cancer tissues suggests potential therapeutic targets. ## Abstract 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. ## Linked entities - **Diseases:** endometrial cancer (MONDO:0002447), cervical cancer (MONDO:0002974), ovarian cancer (MONDO:0005140) ## Full-text entities - **Genes:** MTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase) [NCBI Gene 2475] {aka FRAP, FRAP1, FRAP2, RAFT1, RAPT1, SKS}, CIC (capicua transcriptional repressor) [NCBI Gene 23152] {aka MRD45}, MUC16 (mucin 16, cell surface associated) [NCBI Gene 94025] {aka CA125}, SLC2A3 (solute carrier family 2 member 3) [NCBI Gene 6515] {aka GLUT3}, CDH2 (cadherin 2) [NCBI Gene 1000] {aka ACOGS, ADHD8, ARVD14, CD325, CDHN, CDw325}, PPARA (peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha) [NCBI Gene 5465] {aka NR1C1, PPAR, PPAR-alpha, PPARalpha, hPPAR}, FABP4 (fatty acid binding protein 4) [NCBI Gene 2167] {aka A-FABP, AFABP, ALBP, HEL-S-104, aP2}, MAPK1 (mitogen-activated protein kinase 1) [NCBI Gene 5594] {aka ERK, ERK-2, ERK2, ERT1, MAPK2, NS13}, PIK3R1 (phosphoinositide-3-kinase regulatory subunit 1) [NCBI Gene 5295] {aka AGM7, GRB1, IMD36, p85, p85-ALPHA, p85alpha}, FASN (fatty acid synthase) [NCBI Gene 2194] {aka FAS, OA-519, SDR27X1}, AKT1 (AKT serine/threonine kinase 1) [NCBI Gene 207] {aka AKT, PKB, PKB-ALPHA, PRKBA, RAC, RAC-ALPHA}, CPT1A (carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A) [NCBI Gene 1374] {aka CPT I, CPT1, CPT1-L, CPTI-L, L-CPT1}, VIM (vimentin) [NCBI Gene 7431], MBTPS1 (membrane bound transcription factor peptidase, site 1) [NCBI Gene 8720] {aka CAOP, PCSK8, S1P, SEDKF, SKI-1}, ELOVL6 (ELOVL fatty acid elongase 6) [NCBI Gene 79071] {aka FACE, FAE, LCE, hELO2}, SOAT1 (sterol O-acyltransferase 1) [NCBI Gene 6646] {aka ACACT, ACAT, ACAT-1, ACAT1, SOAT, STAT}, IGF1 (insulin like growth factor 1) [NCBI Gene 3479] {aka IGF, IGF-I, IGFI, MGF}, ELOVL1 (ELOVL fatty acid elongase 1) [NCBI Gene 64834] {aka CGI-88, IKSHD, Ssc1}, SLC2A4 (solute carrier family 2 member 4) [NCBI Gene 6517] {aka GLUT4}, CD36 (CD36 molecule (CD36 blood group)) [NCBI Gene 948] {aka BDPLT10, CHDS7, FAT, GP3B, GP4, GPIV}, PRKAA1 (protein kinase AMP-activated catalytic subunit alpha 1) [NCBI Gene 5562] {aka AMPK, AMPK alpha 1, AMPKa1}, INS (insulin) [NCBI Gene 3630] {aka IDDM, IDDM1, IDDM2, ILPR, IRDN, MODY10}, LPA (lipoprotein(a)) [NCBI Gene 4018] {aka AK38, APOA, LP}, SCD (stearoyl-CoA desaturase) [NCBI Gene 6319] {aka FADS5, MSTP008, SCD1, SCDOS, hSCD1}, SLC27A1 (solute carrier family 27 member 1) [NCBI Gene 376497] {aka ACSVL5, FATP, FATP-1, FATP1}, MMP7 (matrix metallopeptidase 7) [NCBI Gene 4316] {aka MMP-7, MPSL1, PUMP-1}, TGFB1 (transforming growth factor beta 1) [NCBI Gene 7040] {aka CAEND1, CED, DPD1, IBDIMDE, LAP, TGF-beta1}, PNPLA2 (patatin like domain 2, triacylglycerol lipase) [NCBI Gene 57104] {aka 1110001C14Rik, ATGL, FP17548, PEDF-R, TTS-2.2, TTS2}, LDLR (low density lipoprotein receptor) [NCBI Gene 3949] {aka LDLCQ2}, DGAT1 (diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 1) [NCBI Gene 8694] {aka ARAT, ARGP1, DGAT, DIAR7}, PIK3CA (phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha) [NCBI Gene 5290] {aka CCM4, CLAPO, CLOVE, CWS5, HMH, MCAP}, NFKB1 (nuclear factor kappa B subunit 1) [NCBI Gene 4790] {aka CVID12, EBP-1, KBF1, NF-kB, NF-kB1, NF-kappa-B1}, SLC2A1 (solute carrier family 2 member 1) [NCBI Gene 6513] {aka CSE, DYT17, DYT18, DYT9, EIG12, GLUT}, PPARG (peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma) [NCBI Gene 5468] {aka CIMT1, FPLD3, GLM1, NR1C3, PPARG1, PPARG2}, FADS2 (fatty acid desaturase 2) [NCBI Gene 9415] {aka D6D, DES6, FADSD6, LLCDL2, SLL0262, TU13}, CASP3 (caspase 3) [NCBI Gene 836] {aka CPP32, CPP32B, SCA-1}, MGLL (monoglyceride lipase) [NCBI Gene 11343] {aka HU-K5, HUK5, MAGL, MGL}, SREBF1 (sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 1) [NCBI Gene 6720] {aka HMD, IFAP2, SREBP1, bHLHd1}, PIK3CB (phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit beta) [NCBI Gene 5291] {aka P110BETA, PI3K, PI3KBETA, PIK3C1}, CDH1 (cadherin 1) [NCBI Gene 999] {aka Arc-1, BCDS1, CD324, CDHE, ECAD, LCAM}, CHPT1 (choline phosphotransferase 1) [NCBI Gene 56994] {aka CPT, CPT1}, BRCA1 (BRCA1 DNA repair associated) [NCBI Gene 672] {aka BRCAI, BRCC1, BROVCA1, FANCS, IRIS, PNCA4}, ACLY (ATP citrate lyase) [NCBI Gene 47] {aka ACL, ATPCL, CLATP}, FADS1 (fatty acid desaturase 1) [NCBI Gene 3992] {aka D5D, FADS6, FADSD5, LLCDL1, TU12}, SIRT1 (sirtuin 1) [NCBI Gene 23411] {aka SIR2, SIR2L1, SIR2alpha}, ACACA (acetyl-CoA carboxylase alpha) [NCBI Gene 31] {aka ACAC, ACACAD, ACACalpha, ACC, ACC1, ACCA}, PDP1 (pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphatase catalytic subunit 1) [NCBI Gene 54704] {aka PDH, PDP, PDPC, PDPC 1, PPM2A, PPM2C}, LPAR3 (lysophosphatidic acid receptor 3) [NCBI Gene 23566] {aka EDG7, Edg-7, GPCR, HOFNH30, LP-A3, LPA3}, LPAR1 (lysophosphatidic acid receptor 1) [NCBI Gene 1902] {aka EDG2, Gpcr26, LPA1, Mrec1.3, VZG1, edg-2}, APOB (apolipoprotein B) [NCBI Gene 338] {aka FCHL2, FLDB, LDLCQ4, apoB-100, apoB-48}, PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog) [NCBI Gene 5728] {aka 10q23del, BZS, CWS1, DEC, GLM2, MHAM}, ABCB1 (ATP binding cassette subfamily B member 1) [NCBI Gene 5243] {aka ABC20, CD243, CLCS, ENPAT, GP170, MDR1}, FFAR1 (free fatty acid receptor 1) [NCBI Gene 2864] {aka FFA1R, GPCR40, GPR40}, LIPE (lipase E, hormone sensitive type) [NCBI Gene 3991] {aka AOMS4, FPLD6, HSL, LHS, REH}, TP53 (tumor protein p53) [NCBI Gene 7157] {aka BCC7, BMFS5, LFS1, P53, TRP53} - **Diseases:** hyperinsulinemia (MESH:D006946), CC (MESH:D002583), dyslipidemia (MESH:D050171), EC (MESH:D016889), death (MESH:D003643), endometriosis (MESH:D004715), pancreatic cancer (MESH:D010190), ascites (MESH:D001201), chronic inflammation (MESH:D007249), metastasis (MESH:D009362), metabolic syndrome (MESH:D024821), metastatic (MESH:D000092182), cytotoxic (MESH:D064420), uterine leiomyomas (OMIM:150699), insulin resistance (MESH:D007333), TS (MESH:D005879), gynecologic malignancies (MESH:D005833), cardiovascular disease (MESH:D002318), peritoneal carcinoma (MESH:D010534), diabetes (MESH:D003920), CC cancers (MESH:D009369), cachexia (MESH:D002100), EOC (MESH:D000077216), aggressive (MESH:D010554), BOTs (MESH:D010051), carcinogenesis (MESH:D063646), lymph node metastasis (MESH:D008207), hypercholesterolemia (MESH:D006937), endometrial or ovarian cancer (MESH:D004714), adiposity (MESH:D018205), obesity (MESH:D009765), breast and colon cancer (MESH:D001943), neuropathy (MESH:D009422), endometrial, cervical and ovarian cancers (MESH:D002575), HPV infection (MESH:D030361), ketosis (MESH:D007662), benign ovarian disease (MESH:D010049), necrotic (MESH:D009336) - **Chemicals:** acids (MESH:D000143), PUFA (MESH:D005231), Gangliosides (MESH:D005732), C2 ceramide (MESH:C064769), DOX (MESH:D004317), PI (MESH:D010716), PAF (MESH:D010972), adrenic acid (MESH:C011395), oxygen (MESH:D010100), fat (MESH:D005223), cisplatin (MESH:D002945), platinum (MESH:D010984), C18:0-Cer (-), 22:5 n-3 (MESH:C026219), MVA (MESH:D008798), palmitate (MESH:D010168), linoleic acid (MESH:D019787), palmitoleic acid (MESH:C008757), PE (MESH:C483858), sphingomyelins (MESH:D013109), perhexiline (MESH:D010480), TG (MESH:D014280), MF-438 (MESH:C548713), ketone (MESH:D007659), PA (MESH:D010712), PS (MESH:D010718), sphinganine (MESH:C005682), carbohydrate (MESH:D002241), FA (MESH:D005227), GLA (MESH:D017965), etomoxir (MESH:C054207), 27-Hydroxycholesterol (MESH:C076996), PC (MESH:D010713), ALA (MESH:D000409), acyl-CoA (MESH:D000214), OAA (MESH:D062907), dihydroceramide (MESH:C109343), n-3 PUFA (MESH:D015525), glycosphingolipid (MESH:D006028), vincristine (MESH:D014750), palmitic acid (MESH:D019308), DHA (MESH:D004281), FFA (MESH:D005230), Lipid (MESH:D008055), acetyl-CoA (MESH:D000105), TVB-2640 (MESH:C000717092), ARA (MESH:D016718), stearic acid (MESH:C031183), sterol (MESH:D013261), C8 ceramide (MESH:C066099), isoprenoid (MESH:D013729), PG (MESH:D010715), malonyl-CoA (MESH:D008316), lysophosphatidylinositol (MESH:C025449), sphingosine-1-phosphate (MESH:C060506), eicosapentaenoic acid (MESH:D015118), phospholipid (MESH:D010743), ATP (MESH:D000255), H2O (MESH:D014867), LA (MESH:D007811) - **Species:** Enterovirus C (no rank) [taxon 138950], Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606] - **Cell lines:** EC — Homo sapiens (Human), Type II endometrial adenocarcinoma, Cancer cell line (CVCL_1274), IGROV-1 OC — Homo sapiens (Human), Ovarian endometrioid adenocarcinoma, Cancer cell line (CVCL_1304), OC — Homo sapiens (Human), Ovarian adenocarcinoma, Cancer cell line (CVCL_8692), Hey — Homo sapiens (Human), High grade ovarian serous adenocarcinoma, Cancer cell line (CVCL_0297), CC — Homo sapiens (Human), Human papillomavirus-related endocervical adenocarcinoma, Cancer cell line (CVCL_JX14) ## Full text _Full body text omitted from this summary view._ Fetch the complete paper as Markdown: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12950604/full.md ## Figures 2 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12950604/full.md ## References 200 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12950604/full.md --- Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12950604