Progesterone receptor inhibits the proliferation and invasion of endometrial cancer cells by up regulating Krüppel-like factor 9

Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the most common genital malignancies in women (1). With the development of society and economy and the change of life style, the incidence is increasing rapidly worldwide (2). The prognosis of EC, even in the early stage, is poor, let alone those patients with either advanced stage at diagnosis or recurrent disease following treatment (3). The molecular mechanisms of development of EC are not fully understood. Although many oncogenes and tumor suppressors have been identified as key players underlying tumorigenesis of EC (4-6), however, almost no commonly-accepted biomarkers have been established to facilitate the comprehensive management of EC patients. Therefore, understanding the molecular events underlying endometrial carcinogenesis and identifying new biomarkers and therapeutic targets will be important