What Is Ovarian Cancer?

Ovarian cancer is cancer in the ovaries,the female reproductive organs located in the pelvis. Ovarian cancer is the most deadly cancer of the female reproductive system. Ovarian cancer is a rare disease, but it is often deadly because it is difficult to diagnose.

Ovarian cancer is a disease produced by the rapid growth and division of cells within one or both ovaries reproductive glands in which the ova, or eggs, and the female sex hormones are made. Ovarian Cancer is the fifth most common cancer among women in the United States. Ovarian cancer is often referred to as the silent killer' because ovarian cancer symptoms are few and often mimic that of many other illnesses.

Ovarian cancer is usually diagnosed in its later stages, and treatment options are limited. The goal of surgery for ovarian cancer is toobtain tissue samples for diagnosis and staging and to remove alldeposits of cancer larger than 1 cm (about one-half inch). The risk of developing and dying from ovarian cancer is higher for white women than black women.

The sooner ovarian cancer is found and treated, the better your chance for recovery. While the cure rate for early ovarian cancer is high at about 90 percent, when ovarian cancer advances to stage III or IV the cure rate is low. Accuracy of Screenings for Ovarian Cancer Is Still Inconsistent Because screening for ovarian cancer is still in its infancy, womenshould educate themselves about symptoms and risk factors.

Of the different types of ovarian cancer, epithelial ovarian cancer is the most common, originating in the cells that cover the surface of the ovary, which are known as epithelial cells. The prevalence of ovarian cancer is low in young women but increases with age, with the highest rate occurring in the eighth decade of life.

Treatment

Treatment of ovarian cancer usually involves a combination of surgery and chemotherapy.

Treatment requires hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy,excision of as much involved tissue as possible, and,unless cancer is localized, chemotherapy. Surgery is the preferred treatment and is frequently necessary to obtain a tissue specimen for differential diagnosis via its histology. The treatment used will depend on how advanced the cancer is and how old the patient is.