The term, ovarian cancer, is used to refer to a malignancy of the outer lining or epithelium of the ovary. The most common subtype is called papillary serous carcinoma because of the frond-like appearance microscopically. The second most common subtype is endometrioid. Mucinous and clear cell carcinoma are less common subtypes and tend to have a poorer prognosis.

I was enjoying a casual dinner the other night, when all of a sudden my heart started racing. I broke out in a cold sweat and I was shaking, dizzy and short of breath. It was really scary - I thought I was having a heart attack!

The causes of ovarian cancer remain poorly understood. One hypothesis is that an increased number of ovulations increase the risk of ovarian cancer. A second theory is that high chronic levels of pituitary hormones that stimulate the ovary (pituitary gonadotropins) can somehow lead to cancer.

Ovarian cancer is cancer in the ovaries, the female reproductive organs located in the pelvis. The ovaries make female hormones and store eggs that, if fertilized by sperm, can develop into a baby. Women have two ovaries, one on each side of the uterus. Tumors found in the ovaries may be noncancerous tissue growths (cysts) or cancerous growths that may spread to other parts of the body.

There is no reliable study to support the claim that infertility treatment causes ovarian cancer. One highly publicized study suggested a link between ovarian cancer in women who had received ovulation induction drugs. These women were also infertile and infertile women are at greater risk for ovarian cancer whether or not they receive ovulation induction drugs. It was not possible to determine if the increased risk was due to the women's infertility or drug treatment.

Most commonly, ovarian cancer spreads through direct contact with other tissues in the pelvis or by spreading through the fluid in the abdominal cavity. Also, it can invade lymph channels to spread through lymph nodes. Travel through the blood vessels is much less common but does occur and can manifest itself as liver metastases or malignant cells in a pleural effusion which is fluid around the lungs.

Stage refers to the extent of the cancer at the time of diagnosis. Different stages have different prognoses. Stage I refers to cancer limited to the ovaries but also includes the presence of cancer cells in fluid in the abdominal cavity. Stage II indicates cancer that has spread to other areas of the pelvis. Stage III refers to cancer that has spread to lymph nodes or to surface tissues in the upper abdomen.

Most commonly, surgery is the first step in treatment. When ovarian cancer is suspected because of the presence of an ovarian mass, tests including a CA-125 blood test and a CT scan or MRI of the abdomen and pelvis are done. Most cases of ovarian cancer require removal of both ovaries, both fallopian tubes, the uterus, and the omentum (a fatty apron overlying the intestines), with additional biopsies of various abdominal lining surfaces including the diaphragm and biopsies of lymph nodes.

First, it is not a very common cancer. With 27,000 new cases in the United States yearly, one would have to screen 2,500 women to find one case. Only 50% of early-stage ovarian cancers will have an elevated CA-125. Also, many non-cancer conditions can cause an elevated CA-125 (false positive). This group may then undergo multiple other tests, including exploratory surgery which can have serious risks and side effects. A second issue is that of frequency of screening.

Yes. A recent study following over 44,000 postmenopausal women during a 20-year span concluded that estrogen use increases the risk of ovarian cancer. In this study, women who used estrogen alone for 10-19 years were twice as likely to develop ovarian cancer than women who did not use postmenopausal hormones. For women who used estrogen for 20 or more years, the risk of ovarian cancer increased to three times that of women who did not use postmenopausal hormones.

There are no symptoms at all for early ovarian cancer (Stage I and II), because it is a slow growing process and doesn't cause pain. Advanced cancers have symptoms, however, usually including abdominal fullness and feeling full and not hungry all of the time. Increasing abdominal girth can also be a late sign because of fluid in the abdominal cavity. I can't give you an exact number on that in the 30's, it would probably be in the order of less than 1 in a thousand.

Ovarian cancer has been described in association with three autosomal dominant syndromes: familial site-specific ovarian cancer, familial breast and ovarian cancer, and the hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer syndrome. If your sister does not have this type of colon cancer I am not aware of any connection. I am a 24 year old female with a history of Stage 1-A ovarian cancer, removed surgically after a mucinous cystadenocarcinoma was found (football sized).

Pelvic ultrasound is one of the principal tests in identifying ovarian cancer. Early detection of ovarian cancer is still difficult and a large research effort is underway to increase the detection rate. Locally, we work with the Marsha Rivkin Ovarian Cancer Center.

The Winners Walk of Hope was first launched as an opportunity for women living with ovarian cancer and their families to come together to offer support to each other. Although it has become a successful fundraising event, this spirit of support and building community strength are the underlying values of the event.

About 1 in every 57 women in the United States will develop ovarian cancer. Most cases occur in women over the age of 50, but this disease can also affect younger women. Ovarian cancer causes more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. The sooner ovarian cancer is found and treated, the better a woman's chance for recovery.

Ovarian cancer can be hard to detect early. Many times, women with ovarian cancer have no symptoms or just mild symptoms until the disease is in an advanced stage. Scientists are studying ways to detect ovarian cancer before symptoms develop. Ovarian cancer symptoms can include the following:

The exact causes of ovarian cancer are not known. However, studies show that the following factors may increase the chance of developing this disease: Family history. First-degree relatives (mother, daughter, sister) of a woman who has had ovarian cancer are at increased risk of developing this type of cancer themselves. The likelihood is especially high if two or more first-degree relatives have had the disease.

National statistics show that African American women have a much lower incidence of ovarian cancer than white or Hispanic women, but they have much higher death rates from ovarian cancer than either of these two groups.