More about Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is not one disease with only one treatment. An accurate diagnosis, including Stage and Grade, is critical to obtain the most effective treatment and best advice. Ovarian cysts are examples of other growths that can occur on the ovaries. They are fluid-filled sacs that form on the surface of the ovary. Cysts usually go away without treatment, but a doctor may recommend removal, especially if it seem to be growing, just to ensure that they do not become cancerous.

Ovarian cancer is a cancer that often begins in the cells that make up the ovaries and 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. The ovaries contain cells that, under normal circumstances, reproduce to maintain tissue health. When growth control is lost and cells divide too much and too fast, a cellular mass—or tumor—is formed. If the tumor is confined to a few cell layers, for example, surface cells, and it does not invade surrounding tissues or organs, it is considered benign. If the tumor spreads to surrounding tissues or organs, it is considered malignant, or cancerous. When cancerous cells break away from the original tumor, travel through the blood or lymphatic vessels, and grow within other parts of the body, the process is known as metastasis.

The ovaries are the part of the female reproductive organs which produce egg cells every month during a young woman's reproductive cycle. The ovaries are about 1 1/2" long in a young woman, but after going through menopause (the change of life) shrink down to about half their original size. They are located on either side of the lower abdomen. In young, relatively thin women, the ovaries can just barely be felt on a pelvic examination. Because they shrink in size after a woman stops having her periods, a normal ovary cannot be felt in a woman who has gone through menopause.

Some women, particularly when they are younger and still having periods, may develop cysts on the ovary which can be felt on a pelvic exam or seen on special types of x-rays or other tests. A cyst is a small growth on the ovary which is filled with fluid. They are rarely cancer, particularly in younger women. As long as the cyst is small and does not cause any problems, usually it can simply be observed for a short period of time. However, if it does not go away, then it should be evaluated by a gynecologist. Cysts are less common in women who have already gone through menopause, and when they do occur are more likely to be a cancer, although many of them are still benign. A cyst or an enlarged ovary in a woman who has gone through menopause should always be evaluated quickly to make sure that it is not a cancer.

Ovarian cancer comes from cells of the ovary that grow and divide uncontrollably. The cells may grow to form a tumor on the ovary, and can also break off from the main tumor and spread to other parts of the body. Although ovarian cancer can spread throughout the entire body, in most cases it stays in the abdomen and affects organs such as the intestines, liver, and stomach.

.

The symptoms are subtle, but recognizable. Listen to your body and insist that your doctor take your symptoms seriously.

More about the Symptoms

In 2007, the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation, the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists, and the American Cancer Society, with significant support from the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance, formed a consensus statement agreeing that the disease has specific symptoms.

Women with ovarian cancer report that symptoms are persistent and represent a change from normal for their bodies. The frequency and/or number of such symptoms are key factors in the diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Several studies show that even early stage ovarian cancer can produce these symptoms.

Women who have these symptoms almost daily for more than a few weeks should see their doctor, preferably a gynecologist. Prompt medical evaluation may lead to detection at the earliest possible stage of the disease. Early stage diagnosis is associated with an improved prognosis.

#1. "Epithelial"   Ovarian tumors are derived from the cells on the surface of the ovary. This is the most common form ( about 80% ) of ovarian cancer and occurs primarily in adults. Although most epithelial ovarian cancers occur in women who do not have a family history of the disease, about 5 to 10 percent of women with ovarian epithelial cancer have other family members who have also had the same kind of cancer.

#2. "Germ cell" Ovarian tumors are derived from the egg producing cells within the body of the ovary. This occurs primarily in children and teens and is rare (10-15%) by comparison to epithelial ovarian tumors.

#3. "Sex cord stromal"  Ovarian tumors are also rare (5-10%) in comparison to epithelial tumors and this class of tumors often produces steroid hormones

Risk Factors

Like any cancer, why one woman gets ovarian cancer and another does not remains unknown. However, research has shown that ovarian cancer occurs more frequently under the following conditions:

• History of ovarian cancer in your immediate family
  
  
• Age (over 50 years)
  
  
• No children (the greater the number of pregnancies, the lower the risk)
  
  
• Past history of breast cancer
  
  
• Race-ovarian cancer occurs 50% more frequently in white women than African American women.
  
  
• Jewish descent
  
  
• Hormone replacement therapy in post-menopausal women very slightly increases the risk. 
  
  
• Exposure to or use of talc or asbestos (industrial contamination), frequently used douches, condoms, dusting powder, feminine hygiene sprays or in sanitary napkins used in the genital area.