Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is a disease in which malignant or cancerous cells are found in the ovary. An ovary is one of two small, almond-shaped organs located on each side of the uterus that produce female hormones and store eggs or germ cells. In women age 35 to 74, ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths. An estimated one woman in 58 will develop
ovarian cancer during her lifetime. In 2006, the American Cancer Society estimates that
there will be 20,180 new cases of ovarian cancer diagnosed and 15,310 women will die
of the disease.

What is the general outlook for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer?
Because each woman diagnosed with ovarian cancer has a different profile, it is impossible
to give a general prognosis. If diagnosed and treated early, when the cancer is confined to
the ovary, the 5-year survival rate is over 90%. Unfortunately, due to ovarian cancer’s nonspecific symptoms, only 19% of all cases are found at this early stage. If caught in stage III
or higher, survival rate can be as low as 29%.

Can ovarian cancer be prevented?
At present, there is no known method to preventovarian cancer, but some things appear to reduce a woman’s risk of developing the disease.

Is ovarian cancer hereditary?
A woman can inherit an increased risk for ovarian cancer from either her mother’s or father’s side of her family, particularly if a first-degree relative (mother, father, sister, or daughter) has, or has had ovarian, breast, prostate or colon cancer. Furthermore, women
with a strong family history of ovarian cancer are more likely to develop the disease at an early age (younger than 50). Women of Ashkenazi (Eastern European) Jewish descent are also at greater risk if they have an affected family member. Studies show that inheriting a defect in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene can also increase a woman’s risk of developing ovarian cancer by about 10% to 40%. Normally, these genes help to prevent cancer, but if a woman has inherited a mutated BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, her ovaries and breasts are more susceptible to the development of cancer.

While the symptoms of ovarian cancer (particularly in the early stages) are often not acute or intense, they are not silent; they whisper, so listen.