Ovarian Cancer Health Article

Definition

Ovarian cancer is cancer of the ovaries, the egg-releasing and hormone-producing organs of the female reproductive tract. Cancerous, or malignant, cells divide and multiply in an abnormal fashion.

Description

The ovaries are small, almond-shaped organs, located in the pelvic region, one on either side of the uterus.

When a woman is in her childbearing years, the ovaries alternate to produce and release an egg each month during the menstrual cycle. The released egg is picked-up by the adjacent fallopian tube, and continues down towards the uterus. The ovaries also produce and secrete the female hormones estrogen and progesterone, which regulate the menstrual cycle and pregnancy, as well as support the development of the secondary female sexual characteristics (breasts, body shape and body hair). During pregnancy and when women take certain medications, such as oral contraceptives, the ovaries are given a rest from their usual monthly duties.

Types of ovarian cancers

Ninety percent of all ovarian cancers develop in the cells lining the surface, or epithelium, of the ovaries and so are called epithelial cell tumors. About 15% of epithelial cancers are considered low malignant potential or LMP tumors. These tumors occur more often in younger women, and are more likely to be caught early, so prognosis is good.

Germ cell tumors develop in the egg-producing cells of the ovary, and comprise about five percent of ovarian tumors. These tumors are usually found in teenage girls or young women. The prognosis is good if found early, but as with other ovarian cancers, early detection is difficult.

Primary peritoneal carcinoma (PPC) is a cancer of the peritoneum, the lining of the abdominal cavity where the internal organs are located. Although it is a distinct disease, it is linked with ovarian cancer. This is because the ovarian and peritoneal cells have the same embryonic origin. This means that the very early cells of the embryo that will ultimately develop into the ovaries and the peritoneum share a common origin. The term "primary" means that the cancer started first in the peritoneum, as opposed to the cancer starting in the ovary and then moving, or metastasizing, into the peritoneum.