Ovarian cancer forms in the ovaries, the female reproductive organs where the eggs are formed. Early detection and treatment of ovarian cancer is key for increasing survival rates, but only approximately 20 percent of ovarian cancers are found before the cancer has spread past the ovaries.
Significance
The National Cancer Institute estimates that in 2009, approximately 21,550 new cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed in the United States.
Risk Factors
There are several possible risk factors for developing ovarian cancer, including inherited gene mutations, family history of the disease, a personal history of breast cancer, being post-menopausal and never having had children.
Symptoms
Symptoms of ovarian cancer tend to be general and nonspecific and can look like many other ailments. Symptoms can include abdominal swelling and pressure, lower back pain, changes in bladder or bowel habits, pain with intercourse and pelvic pain.
Symptom Pattern
The key to recognizing symptoms of ovarian cancer is that the symptoms linger and get progressively worse over time, according to the Mayo Clinic. In other illnesses, individuals' symptoms fluctuate, but this is not the case with ovarian cancer symptoms.
Treatment
Surgery and chemotherapy are typically the main treatments for ovarian cancer. While radiation therapy is not very effective with ovarian cancer, it may be used in advanced ovarian cancer to relieve extraneous symptoms the cancer may be causing.
