OVARIAN CANCER

Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian Cancer

Introduction

The ovaries are part of a female's reproductive system, and they are located in the pelvis. Each ovary is about the size of an almond, located on both sides of the uterus, and they make hormones: Estrogen and progesterone. The ovaries also release egg that travel from one ovary through a fallopian tube to the uterus.

Ovarian cancer develops when cells in the ovaries begin to grow in an uncontrolled fashion and then invade nearby tissues or spread throughout the body. (Alletti GD. MM, Cliby Management strategies for ovarian cancer. 2007).

Discussion

Cancers are characterized by the cells from which they originally form. The most common type of ovarian cancer is called epithelial ovarian cancer; it comes from cells that lie on the surface of the ovary known as epithelia cells. Epithelia ovarian cancer comprises about 90% of ovarian cancers and usually occurs in older women. (American college of obstetricians and Gyn. ACOG 2007)

Germ cell ovarian are more likely to affect younger women. Another 5% of ovarian cancers are known as stromal ovarian cancers and develop from the cells in the ovary that hold the ovary together and produce hormones. These tumors can create symptoms by producing a large excess of female hormones. Each of these three types of ovarian cancer (epithelial, germ cell, stromal) contains many different subtypes of cancer that are distinguished based on how the cells look under a microscope. It is a good idea to discuss the exact category of ovarian cancer that a woman has with her doctor in order to get a sense of the details of her case.

Main symptoms

The symptoms that are more likely seen in women with ovarian cancer than healthy women include:

Bloating

Pelvic or abdominal pain

Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly

Urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency)

Diagonosis

When ovarian ...