Abstract: Ovarian neoplasms are the most common fatal malignancy of the female reproductive tract tumor and frequently present at an advanced stage. There is，thus，a real need for more sensitive and accurate methods of early diagnosis，including better tumor markers. Studies on the biology of activin，inhibin and the relationships between activin，inhibin and ovarian neoplasms have become the focus of attention. Activin and inhibin are members of the transforming growth factor beta（TGF-β）family of cytokines produced by the gonads，with a recognised role in regulating pituitary FSH secretion. Activins are hetero-or homodimers of the beta-subunits. Inhibin consists of two homologous subunits，inhibin A consists of alpha and beta A. Inhibin B consists of alpha and beta B. This review evaluates the functional and molecular evidence showing the role of activin and inhibin in ovarian turmorigenesis.

Key words: Activin, Inhibin, Transforming growth factors, Ovarian neoplasms