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.

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.

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:

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:

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.