Ovarian cancer is a growth of abnormal malignant cells that begins in the ovaries.  Ovarian tumors can be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous).  Although abnormal, cells of benign tumors do not metastasize (spread to other parts of the body).  Malignant cells in the ovaries can metastasize in two ways: directly to other organs in the pelvis and abdomen, or through the bloodstream or lymph nodes to other parts of the body.

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancers in the United States and the fifth-leading cause of cancer deaths in women. Ovarian cancers are named after the types of cells of the ovaries that become cancers. Epithelial tumors start from the cells that cover the outer surface of the ovaries. These are the most common type of ovarian cancerous tumors, accounting for about 85 percent to 90 percent of ovarian cancers. Other types include germ cell tumors, which start from cells that produce ova (the eggs), and stromal tumors, which form from the cells that hold ovaries together and produce female hormones.

The American Cancer Society’s 2011 estimates for ovarian cancer in the United States are:

• 21,990 new cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed
• 15,460 women died from ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is the 8th most common cancer among women, excluding non-melanoma skin cancers. It also ranks 5th in cancer deaths among women, accounting for more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system.  A woman's risk of getting invasive ovarian cancer during her lifetime is about 1/71.  Her lifetime chance of dying from invasive ovarian cancer is about 1/95.

What is the survival rate for ovarian cancer?

Survival rates are affected by a woman’s age and by the stage of the disease when it is detected and treated. About three in four women with ovarian cancer survive the first year after diagnosis. Almost half of women (46%) with ovarian cancer are still alive at least 5 years after diagnosis (this is called the “5-year survival rate”). Women younger than 65 with ovarian cancer are about twice as likely to survive five years following diagnosis (56 percent) than are women 65 and older (29 percent). When ovarian cancer is detected at the localized stage, the five-year survival rate is 92 percent. However, fewer than 20 percent of all cases are detected at this early stage. (Source: American Cancer Society)

How is ovarian cancer treated?

Ovarian cancer is generally treated through a combination of surgery to remove cancerous tissues known as debulking,  followed by a course of chemotherapy. Once a patient has been treated for ovarian cancer, she needs to be closely followed for a recurrence. Even with no sign of cancer after treatment, between 30 percent and 50 percent of women who are treated for ovarian cancer see it return within five years.