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Ovarian Cancer

What is Ovarian Cancer?

Cancer is a disease in which some of the body's cells begin to divide nonstop, and spread into surrounding tissue. Ovarian cancers are a group of diseases that affect the ovaries.

What are the different types of ovarian cancer?

Ovarian cancers are now known to be several distinct diseases, classified according to the cells from which they arise. They are then grouped by pathological factors for how they appear under a microscope, and their behaviors.

Epithelial Ovarian Cancers

Epithelial ovarian cancers arise from the surface of the ovary (the epithelium). These are the most common ovarian cancers. Fallopian tube cancer and primary peritoneal cancer are also included in this grouping.

Germ cell ovarian cancers

Germ cell ovarian cancers originate from the reproductive cells of the ovaries and are rare.

Stromal cell ovarian cancers

Stromal cell ovarian cancers develop from connective tissue cells, and is very rare.

Small cell Carcinomas (SCCO)

Small cell carcinomas of the ovary are an extremely rare ovarian cancer subtype. It is not known for sure whether the cells in SCCO are from ovarian epithelial cells, sex-cord stromal cells or germ cells.

Are All Ovarian Tumors Cancerous?

Not all ovarian tumors are cancer. Ovarian tumors can be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Benign tumors do not spread to other parts of the body (metastasize).
Additionally, ovarian cysts are different from ovarian tumors, and can be fairly common - ovarian cysts are fluid-filled while ovarian tumors are solid masses. Most ovarian cysts are not harmful and do not cause symptoms. Cysts are not typically a risk for future ovarian cancer, though some complex ovarian cysts may raise the risk.

Common symptoms of ovarian cancer

In many cases, ovarian cancer does not produce noticeable symptoms until the disease is in advanced stages. Symptoms associated with ovarian cancer can sometimes be mistaken for other common problems. The symptoms below are most reported by ovarian cancer patients:
  • Bloating
  • Pelvic or abdominal pain
  • Difficulty eating or feeling full after a few bites
  • Urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency)

Less Common symptoms associated with ovarian cancer

Several other common symptoms are commonly reported by women with ovarian cancer. They are less useful in helping to identify the disease because of their frequency in the general population:
  • Fatigue
  • Indigestion
  • Back pain
  • Pain with intercourse
  • Constipation
  • Menstrual irregularities

Ovarian cancer detection and diagnosis

There is no screening or early detection test for ovarian cancer. The Pap test does not test for ovarian cancer; it is only a reliable screening tool for cervical cancer. If a doctor suspects ovarian cancer, they may perform a combination of preliminary tests including a pelvic exam, radiological tests that may include a transvaginal ultrasound or CT scan, and a CA-125 blood test. Doctors may also use these tests to monitor those with a strong family history of ovarian or breast cancer.
Ovarian cancer can only be definitively diagnosed through a surgical biopsy. This surgery should always be performed by a gynecologic oncologist.

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