Ovarian cancer, or cancer that develops in the ovaries, can occur at any age but it is predominantly a disease of postmenopausal women. Although rare, more women die from ovarian cancer than they do from uterine and cervical cancer put together. This is mainly due to the fact that there are few discernible symptoms in the early stages (when the disease may still be curable) and those that do occur, such as abdominal pain, discomfort, or bloating, are mistakenly thought to be due to gastrointestinal problems and treated as such. A combination of surgery and chemotherapy is the treatment of choice for ovarian cancer.
The ovaries are a pair of small, oval organs on either side of the uterus, close to the pelvic wall. They belong to the female reproductive system and are responsible for producing ova (eggs), as well as producing and secreting the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. These hormones help in developing sexual characteristics of a woman and in regulating menstruation and pregnancy. With menopause, the ovaries stop producing eggs and there is a decline in hormone production as well.
The exact cause of ovarian cancer is not known. Various factors that have been linked to its development are :
There are different types of ovarian cancers, depending upon the cells from which they originate.
Primary tumors of the ovary, which originate in the ovary itself, are of 3 main types :
Secondary tumors of the ovary occur due to spread of cancer or metastasis from other primary sites such as cancers of the breast, uterus, stomach, and colon.
In the early stages, the complaints are usually vague and often mimic symptoms of digestive disorders such as nausea, indigestion, poor appetite, fullness after a meal, bloating, abdominal distension, and altered bowel habits.
Gynecological problems may include abnormal vaginal bleeding, menstrual irregularities, and painful sexual intercourse. Androgen-producing tumors may cause virilization. A mass may be felt on pelvic examination or a large tumor may be felt through the abdomen.
Other complaints include excessive fatigue, unexplained weight loss, abdominal pain or discomfort, feeling of weight in the pelvis, urinary problems, rectal discomfort, and back pain.
The stage and grade of the disease at the time of detection determines largely its outcome. As most ovarian cancers are detected after the cancer has progressed beyond the ovaries, the outcome is usually poor. The prognosis also depends on the type of ovarian cancer, age of the patient, general health condition, type of treatment and the response of the patient to it.
