Ovarian Cancer

What Is It?

Any malignant tumor that begins in the ovaries is called ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer accounts for 4 percent of all cancers in women. An estimated 23,300 new cases of ovarian cancer were expected to be diagnosed in the United States during 2002, according to the latest statistics available from the American Cancer Society.

Ovarian cancer comes in three forms. Cancers forming in the surface of the ovary (epithelial carcinoma) are by far the most common. Cancers forming in the egg-producing cells (germ-cell tumors) and in the supportive tissue around the ovaries (stromal tumors) are less common.

The disease often does not cause any symptoms until it has spread beyond the ovaries. It is difficult for a physician to detect the tumor during a pelvic exam before this late stage. This helps explain why ovarian cancer more often results in death than some other cancers. Ovarian cancer accounts for more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. An estimated 13,900 women were expected to die from ovarian cancer in the United States during 2002, according to the latest statistics.

Once the disease spreads to other organs, symptoms begin. But even then, the symptoms (frequent urination or bloating, for instance) might not be noticed, or might be attributed to less-serious problems. For these reasons, about 75 percent of ovarian cancer cases aren't identified until the later, more dangerous, stages of the disease

Since the disease causes few or vague symptoms during its developing stages, doctors are working to find screening tests that will allow for early detection. The exact causes of the disease are unknown, but a number of risk factors have been identified. The disease has a strong genetic (inherited) component, and women who have had a first-degree relative (sister, mother or daughter) diagnosed with ovarian cancer are at a high risk of developing the disorder, as are women who have a relative who has had breast or colon cancer. The likelihood of developing ovarian cancer also increases with age. Most ovarian cancers occur in women over the age of 50, and the highest risk is in women over 60. Women who've never had children are at higher risk for ovarian cancer.

Symptoms

Ovarian cancer usually doesn't produce obvious symptoms until late in its development, and, even then, the symptoms can be mistaken as signs of a minor disorder. Symptoms of ovarian cancer may include:

• Abdominal discomfort and pain
• Bloating
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Frequent urination
• Sudden weight gain or loss
• Abnormal bleeding from the vagina

Diagnosis