**5. Conclusion**

Integrins are key players in cell adhesion and cell-ECM interactions that mediate important cell functions, such as survival, differentiation, and migration. In cancer, the aberrant expression, or reorganization, of integrins are associated with critical steps in tumor progression. Studies assessing the role of integrins in the context of ovarian cancer revealed that integrins are involved in ovarian cancer cell survival, migration, adhesion, and invasion of secondary sites. Despite this, integrin-targeted drugs for the treatment of ovarian cancer have displayed limited clinical success and have largely been evaluated in pre-clinical studies. Targeting integrins that are overexpressed in cancer cells for imaging or treatment purposes, using photochemical strategies, is a promising research area. Integrin function can be manipulated by

*Integrins in Ovarian Cancer: Survival Pathways, Malignant Ascites and Targeted Photochemistry DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.106725*

PDT or a PS can be conjugated to target ovarian cancer cells that overexpress certain integrins for fluorescence imaging or toxicity via photodamage. Due to the role that integrins play during critical steps in ovarian cancer progression, integrin targeting may be promising for inhibition of tumor vasculature, drug delivery and photochemistry-based applications in ovarian cancer.
