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Ovarian cancer

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Contents of this page:

Illustrations

Female reproductive anatomy
Female reproductive anatomy
Ascites with ovarian cancer, CT scan
Ascites with ovarian cancer, CT scan
Peritoneal and ovarian cancer, CT scan
Peritoneal and ovarian cancer, CT scan
Ovarian cancer dangers
Ovarian cancer dangers
Ovarian growth worries
Ovarian growth worries
Uterus
Uterus
Ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer metastasis
Ovarian cancer metastasis

Alternative Names    Return to top

Cancer - ovaries

Definition    Return to top

Ovarian cancer is cancer that starts in the ovaries. The ovaries are the female reproductive organs that produce eggs.

Causes    Return to top

Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer among women, and it causes more deaths than any other type of female reproductive cancer.

The cause is unknown.

The risk for developing ovarian cancer appears to be affected by several factors. The more children a woman has and the earlier in life she gives birth, the lower her risk of ovarian cancer. Certain genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2) are responsible for a small number of ovarian cancer cases. Women with a personal history of breast cancer or a family history of breast or ovarian cancer have an increased risk for ovarian cancer.

The use of fertility drugs may be associated with an increased chance of developing ovarian cancer, although this is a subject of ongoing debate.

The links between ovarian cancer and talc use, asbestos exposure, a high-fat diet, and childhood mumps infection are controversial and have not been definitively proven.

Older women are at highest risk. About two-thirds of the deaths from ovarian cancer occur in women age 55 and older. About 25% of ovarian cancer deaths occur in women between 35 and 54 years of age.

Ovarian cancer symptoms are often vague and non-specific, so women and doctors often blame the symptoms on other, more common conditions. By the time the cancer is diagnosed, the tumor has often spread beyond the ovaries.

Symptoms    Return to top

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:

Exams and Tests    Return to top

A physical examination may reveal increased abdominal girth and ascites (fluid within the abdominal cavity). A pelvic examination may reveal an ovarian or abdominal mass.

Tests include:

Treatment    Return to top

Surgery is the preferred treatment and is often needed to diagnose ovarian cancer.

Studies have shown that surgery performed by a specialist in gynecologic oncology results in a higher cure rate.

Chemotherapy is used as after surgery to treat any remaining disease. Chemotherapy can also be used if the cancer comes back.

Radiation therapy is rarely used in ovarian cancer in the United States.

After treatment, women are commonly monitored with CA-125 and CT scans.

Support Groups    Return to top

For additional information and resources, cancer support group.

Outlook (Prognosis)    Return to top

Ovarian cancer is rarely diagnosed in its early stages. It is usually quite advanced by the time diagnosis is made. The outcome is often poor.

Possible Complications    Return to top

When to Contact a Medical Professional    Return to top

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if you are a woman over 40 years old who has not recently had a pelvic examination. Routine pelvic examinations are recommended for all women over 20 years old.

Call for an appointment with your provider if you have symptoms of ovarian cancer.

Prevention    Return to top

Having regular pelvic examinations may decrease the overall risk. Screening tests for ovarian cancer remains a very active research area. To date, there is no cost-effective screening test for ovarian cancer, so more than 50% of women with ovarian cancer are diagnosed in the late stages of the disease.

Recent research has shown that surgery to remove the ovaries in women with mutation in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes can dramatically reduce their risk of developing ovarian cancer.

References    Return to top

Dann RB. Strategies for ovarian cancer prevention. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am. Dec 1, 2007;34(4):667-86, viii.

NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology: Ovarian cancer. 1st ed. 2008. Accessed June 10, 2008.

Update Date: 6/10/2008

Updated by: James R. Mason, MD, Oncologist, Director, Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program and Stem Cell Processing Lab, Scripps Clinic, Torrey Pines, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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