Ovarian Cancer
(Cancer of the Ovaries)

• What are the ovaries?
• What is ovarian cancer?
• What are risk factors for ovarian cancer?
• What are the symptoms of ovarian cancer?
• How is ovarian cancer diagnosed?
• How is staging for ovarian cancer determined?
• What is the treatment for ovarian cancer?
• Treatment methods
• Surgery
• Chemotherapy
• Radiation therapy
• Patient Discussions: Ovarian Cancer - Symptoms Experienced
• What are the side effects of treatment for ovarian cancer?
• What follow-up care is necessary?
• Where can ovarian cancer patients find support?
• What research is available for ovarian cancer patients?
• What resources are available to patients with ovarian cancer?
• Ovarian Cancer At A Glance
• Related ovarian cancer articles:
  Ovarian cancer - on WebMD

Ovarian cancer - on eMedicineHealth

Ovarian Cancer Symptoms, Early Warning Signs, and Risk Factors Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD Medical Editor: Dennis Lee, MD Ovarian cancer is the seventh most common cancer in women in the U.S. with over 25,000 women newly diagnosed each year with this disease. It is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths in women and frequently does not result in symptoms until the cancer has spread extensively. Less than one-third of ovarian cancers are detected before they have spread outside of the ovaries. Ovarian cancer actually represents a group of different tumors that arise from diverse types of tissue contained within the ovary. The most common type of ovarian cancer arises from the epithelial cells (the outside layer of cells ) of the surface of the ovary. Other, rare types of ovarian cancer develop from the egg-forming germ cells or from the supporting tissue (stroma) of the organ. Benign (non-cancerous) tumors and cysts are also found in the ovary and are much more common than ovarian cancers. The majority of ovarian cancers are diagnosed late, after the cancers have spread. Only about 20% of women are diagnosed early, when the disease may be curable. There is no definitive screening test for early ovarian cancer. Regular pelvic examinations, sometimes supplemented by ultrasound examinations or blood tests for cancer-related markers, have been routinely used for ovarian cancer screening, but none of these tests are specifically able to detect ovarian cancer. Traditionally, it was believed that ovarian cancer does not produce any characteristic symptoms until the tumor is widespread, and that early symptoms of ovarian cancer were not recognizable. However, in June 2007, the American Cancer Society, along with other medical societies including the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation and the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists, released a consensus statement about possible early symptoms of ovarian cancer. This statement was based on research suggesting that some of the early symptoms of ovarian cancer can, in fact, be recognized. In particular, possible early ovarian cancer symptoms include the following: Bloating Pelvic or abdominal pain Urgent or frequent urination Difficulty eating or feeling full very quickly Learn more about ovarian cancer risk factors » Top Searched Ovarian Cancer Terms: symptoms, statistics, research, survival rate, risk factors, CA 125, early warning signs, ovarian cysts, advanced symptoms

The ovaries

The ovaries are part of a woman's reproductive system. They are in the pelvis. Each ovary is about the size of an almond.

The ovaries make the female hormones -- estrogen and progesterone. They also release eggs. An egg travels from an ovary through a fallopian tube to the womb (uterus).

When a woman goes through her "change of life" (menopause), her ovaries stop releasing eggs and make far lower levels of hormones.

Understanding ovarian cancer

Cancer begins in cells, the building blocks that make up tissues. Tissues make up the organs of the body.

Normally, cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old, they die, and new cells take their place.

Sometimes, this orderly process goes wrong. New cells form when the body does not need them, and old cells do not die when they should. These extra cells can form a mass of tissue called a growth or tumor.

Tumors can be benign or malignant:

Benign tumors are not cancer:

• Benign tumors are rarely life-threatening.



• Generally, benign tumors can be removed. They usually do not grow back.



• Benign tumors do not invade the tissues around them.



• Cells from benign tumors do not spread to other parts of the body.

Malignant tumors are cancer:

• Malignant tumors are generally more serious than benign tumors. They may be life-threatening.



• Malignant tumors often can be removed. But sometimes they grow back.



• Malignant tumors can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs.



• Cells from malignant tumors can spread to other parts of the body. Cancer cells spread by breaking away from the original (primary) tumor and entering the lymphatic system or bloodstream. The cells invade other organs and form new tumors that damage these organs. The spread of cancer is called metastasis.

Benign and malignant cysts

An ovarian cyst may be found on the surface of an ovary or inside it. A cyst contains fluid. Sometimes it contains solid tissue too. Most ovarian cysts are benign (not cancer).

Most ovarian cysts go away with time. Sometimes, a doctor will find a cyst that does not go away or that gets larger. The doctor may order tests to make sure that the cyst is not cancer.

Ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer can invade, shed, or spread to other organs:

• Invade: A malignant ovarian tumor can grow and invade organs next to the ovaries, such as the fallopian tubes and uterus.



• Shed: Cancer cells can shed (break off) from the main ovarian tumor. Shedding into the abdomen may lead to new tumors forming on the surface of nearby organs and tissues. The doctor may call these seeds or implants.



• Spread: Cancer cells can spread through the lymphatic system to lymph nodes in the pelvis, abdomen, and chest. Cancer cells may also spread through the bloodstream to organs such as the liver and lungs.

When cancer spreads from its original place to another part of the body, the new tumor has the same kind of abnormal cells and the same name as the original tumor. For example, if ovarian cancer spreads to the liver, the cancer cells in the liver are actually ovarian cancer cells. The disease is metastatic ovarian cancer, not liver cancer. For that reason, it is treated as ovarian cancer, not liver cancer. Doctors call the new tumor "distant" or metastatic disease.

Ovarian Cancer - Symptoms Experienced

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CT Scan - CAT Scan / CT Scan (Computerized Axial Tomography) information. Learn what a CAT Scan is, why it is performed, risks, and how to prepare for a CAT scan Source:MedicineNet CA 125 - Read about CA 125, the blood test for ovarian cancer. This test however, will also be increased with benign conditions such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, pelvic inflammatory disease, and others. Source:MedicineNet Chemotherapy - Explains chemotherapy, a drug treatment to kill cancer cells. Article includes descriptions, uses, and side effects, and care support. Source:Government Read 167 more Ovarian Cancer related articles ... Women Who Quit Smoking Lower Heart Risks Quickly Many Ob-Gyn Textbooks Lack Good Info on Breast-Feeding HPV-Positive Head and Neck Cancers Fare Better Health Tip: Why Breast-Feed? Mouth Swab May One Day Diagnose Lung Cancer Combo Treatment Best for Melanoma, Advanced Ovarian Cancer Overweight, Obesity Linked to Cancers New Guidelines Should Improve Ovarian Cancer Detection Did Medicare Reimbursement Changes Affect Prostate Cancer Treatment? Vitamin E Supplements May Raise Lung Cancer Risk