By Sandra Ray, Staff Writer
The American Cancer Society reports that ovarian cancer is
the eighth most common cancer among women today.
About three percent of all cancers in women are some
type of ovarian cancer. Unfortunately, ovarian
cancer ranks among fifth in cancer deaths, primarily
due to the fact that it is hard to detect until it
has advanced beyond the ovaries into other areas of
the body. Estimates are that one in every 57 women
will develop ovarian cancer in the United States.
In the female reproductive system, the ovaries house
the eggs needed for reproduction. There are two
ovaries, one, on each side of the uterus where
fertilized eggs are implanted during pregnancy.
Another reason for the ovaries’ importance: they are
the main source of female hormones estrogen and
progesterone.
There are three different types of tissues in the
ovaries, each able to produce a different type of
ovarian cancer. By far, the most prevalent type of
cancer is found in the epithelial tissue of the
ovaries. Epithelial tissue lines the outside of the
ovaries and is found in about 85 – 90 percent of all
ovarian cancer cases. It can grow undetected and
spread rather quickly to the abdomen and into other
parts of the body.
Germ cells actually produce the eggs that are formed
inside the ovaries. Germ cell tumors account for
about five percent of ovarian cancer cases today.
Stromal cells produce the estrogen and progesterone
and account for the remaining five to ten percent of
cancer-causing tumors.
Survival rates for ovarian cancer vary widely
largely depending on the stage of the cancer at the
time of diagnosis. Stage one and two cancers have
much better survival rates than do stage three and
four. The American Cancer Society notes that about
76 percent of women survive one year after diagnosis
and the survival rate drops to 45 percent at five
years. If doctors can diagnose and treat the cancer
while it is still in the ovaries, the overall
survival rate climbs to 94 percent, yet fewer than
20 percent of ovarian cancers are diagnosed at this
early stage.
Risk Factors and Testing:
Despite the facts and figures, it is hard to detect
ovarian cancer since most of the time it starts
without detectable symptoms. Women who have a family
history of breast cancer or ovarian cancer should
discuss it with their physician so that early
testing can be done before ovarian cancer has a
chance to grow undetected. Generally the cancer
strikes women over the age of 50, with women 65 and
older most at risk. It has been found in younger
women, however. Women who are overweight or who have
used fertility drugs also have an increased risk of
developing the cancer. Hormone replacement therapy
(HRT) has also been shown to increase the risk for
developing ovarian cancer.
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