Ovarian cancer is cancer that develops in one or both ovaries--glands in females where reproductive eggs are made. Typically, the cancer forms on the ovary's surface. Although many cases of ovarian cancer aren't caught until the cancer has metastasized, or spread, outside of the ovaries, improvements in treatment and diagnosis have increased survival rates.
Types
Ovarian cancer comes in several varieties. The most common type, epithelial tumors, occurs on the outside lining, or epithelium, of the ovary. Cancer can also develop inside the eggs contained in the ovary. These tumors are called germ cell carcinomas. A third type can form in the tissue cells that make up the ovary and produce hormones. Tumors of this type are called stromal carcinomas.
Risk Factors
According to the National Cancer Institute, hormone replacement therapy may increase the risk of ovarian cancer. Genetics may also predispose some women to the disease. For example, women with mutations in breast cancer gene 1 or breast cancer gene 2 have an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer. Women over 60 and women who are obese are at an increased risk for the disease as well. Having the first child after age 30 and infertility are also risk factors.
Diagnosis
According to the Mayo Clinic, an effective standardized screening test does not exist. If cancer is suspected or if a patient is at risk of developing the disease, a physician may perform a pelvic exam, an ultrasound, or a blood test to look for the presence of a protein called CA 125, which is usually present in large amounts when ovarian cancer exists. To confirm a diagnosis, a doctor may perform a surgical procedure called a laparotomy, or a less-invasive surgery called laparoscopy.
Treatment
Depending on the stage of the tumor--a classification doctors use to describe the tumor's size and distance spread--treatment may include one or more procedures and medications. More often than not, a patient will undergo surgery to have the ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus removed. Following surgery, a combination of chemotherapy drugs is given to kill any remaining cancer cells. The Ovarian Cancer National Alliance notes that chemotherapy can produce side effects such as nausea and hair loss.
Statistics
One out of every 71 women has a lifetime risk of getting ovarian cancer, and more than 20,000 new U.S. cases are diagnosed annually. The disease is most common in women over the age of 45, and the average age at diagnosis is 63, according to the National Cancer Institute. When ovarian cancer is caught before it has spread beyond the ovary, the five-year survival rate is more than 90 percent.
