Ovarian cancer begins in the cells that form the ovaries. Among these cells are surface epithelial cells, germ cells, and the sex cord-stromal cells. This is why cancer cells that metastasize from other organ sites to the ovary are not called ovarian cancer. Breast and colon cancers are examples of such cancers.
It has been observed that the majority of women with epithelial ovarian cancer are not diagnosed early enough. The diagnosis is done only when the disease has reached an advanced stage. By that time, the cancer spreads to the upper abdomen (stage I) or beyond (stage II). The chance of these women surviving five years is only 15 to 20 percent. But the chance of survival for the same period is 90% for patients in stage I, and about 70% for stage II patients.
Some ovarian tumors are benign, in which case the patient can be cured by surgically removing one ovary or the part of the ovary hosting the tumor. Some are malignant or cancerous. Malignant ovarian tumors are generally of three types: epithelial tumors, germ cell tumors and stromal tumors.
Epithelial tumors, accounting for most of the cases, develop in a layer of cube-shaped cells known as the germinal epithelium, which surrounds the outside of the ovaries. Its victims are mostly teenagers and young women. Germ cell tumors are not so common, and are found in the egg-maturation cells of the ovary. These patients can not only be cured, but also their fertility protected. Dangerous if allowed to spread, stromal tumors originate from connective tissue cells that hold the ovary together and produce the female hormones estrogen and progesterone.
All ovarian tumors are not cancerous. Benign cysts, dermoid tumors, and borderline malignant tumors all are distinct from ovarian cancer. These are curable and rarely prove fatal.
Related Articles of Interest :
-
Ovarian Cancer Prognosis
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Epithelial carcinoma of the ovary or Ovarian cancer is one of the most common gynecologic diseases. It is serious and has a very high mortality rate. It is the fifth most frequent cause of cancer death in women. It is most common in women above...
-
Ovarian Cancer Stages
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
By the stage of a cancer we try to express how far the disease has spread. It is crucial, as treatment is mostly decided depending on the stage of a cancer. For ovarian cancer, doctors use a simple I-IV staging system called the FIGO (International...
-
Stage 4 Ovarian Cancer
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Ovarian cancer is a gynecologic sarcoma, which is second most frequently diagnosed. In the United States, females have a 1.4 % to 2.5 % chance of developing ovarian cancer. The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), has standardized the staging of gynecological cancers. It...
-
Ovarian Cancer Treatments
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
The course of treatment for ovarian cancer is normally determined by the stage of the disease. We here classify the stages from I to IV based on the cancer’s specific characteristics, and find out which course is suitable for which stage. By stage I, we...
-
Ovarian Cancer Mortality Rate
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Mortality rate refers to the number of people dying due to a particular affliction. Ovarian cancer is a predominantly destructive cancer and is rarely detected in its early stages. It is the gynecological cancer with the highest mortality rate. Ovarian cancer is the fourth leading...
-
Melanoma Cancer
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Melanoma is a skin disease where cancerous cells grow in the melanocytes, the cells that generate skin color. Melanoma is either known as malignant melanoma or cutaneous melanoma. Of all types of skin cancer plaguing mankind, melanoma is considered the most serious. The epidermis, or...
-
Thyroid Cancer
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Thyroid cancer develops as a result of the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the thyroid gland, resulting in a tumor. Some of these tumors are benign or non cancerous while some are malignant or cancerous. The malignant tumors spread to the nearby tissues and...
-
Ovarian Cancer Bracelets
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Ovarian Cancer is a deadly disease and has a very high mortality rate. It is a disease, which affects the ovaries initially and then spreads to the pelvic area. Surgery and chemotherapy are the only treatments that work in the initial stages. Bracelets are accessories...
-
Small Cell Lung Cancer
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Between ten and twenty percent of all lung cancers are small cell lung cancers. They derive their name from the typical appearance of small, ‘oat’-like cancer cells under the microscope. This type of cancer is found almost exclusively in smokers or former smokers. Small cell...
-
Lung Cancer Stages
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Cancers are staged depending on how far they have spread. Staging a cancer correctly is essential to select the most appropriate treatment option. A number of diagnostic tests, such as CT scans, MRIs, bronchoscopy, blood tests, bone scans, and biopsies are used to find out...