Ovarian epithelial cancer is a disease in which malignant or cancer cells, which can be examined under the microscope by a pathologist, form in the tissue covering the ovary. The ovaries are a pair of organs in the female reproductive system that are located in the pelvis, one on each side of the uterus or the hollow, pear shaped organ where a fetus grows. The ovaries produce eggs and female hormones or chemicals that control the way certain cells or organs function.
Family histories of ovarian cancer among women are at an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer. Women who have one first degree relative like mother, daughter, or sister, with ovarian cancer are at an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer. This risk is higher in women who have one first degree relative and one-second degree relative like grandmother or aunt, with ovarian cancer. In women the risk is higher who have two or more first-degree relatives with ovarian cancer.
Some ovarian cancers are caused by inherited gene mutations or changes. The genes in cells carry the hereditary information that is received from a person’s parents. Hereditary ovarian cancer makes up approximately 5 percent to 10 percent of all cases of ovarian cancer. Three hereditary patterns have been identified are ovarian cancer alone, ovarian and breast cancers, and ovarian and colon cancers.
Genetic tests that can detect altered genes have been developed. These tests are sometimes done for members of families with a high risk of cancer. Women with an increased risk of ovarian cancer may consider surgery to prevent it. Some women who have an increased risk of ovarian cancer may prefer to have a prophylactic removal of healthy ovaries called ophorectomy so that cancer cannot grow in them. This procedure however is not known if it prevents ovarian cancer.
Ovarian cancer is hard to detect or find early because usually there are no symptoms. Some women who have early stage ovarian cancer may have symptoms such as vague gastrointestinal or GI discomfort, pressure in the pelvis, pain, swelling of the abdomen, and shortness of breath. Most of the time however, there is no symptoms or they are very mild. By the time symptoms do appear, the cancer is usually advanced.
Certain factors affect treatment options and prognosis or chance of recovery. The treatment options and prognosis or the chance of recovery depend on the age of the patient and general health, the type and size of the tumor, and the cancer stage.
After ovarian epithelial cancer has been diagnosed, tests are done to find out if cancer cells have spread within the ovaries or to other parts of the body. The process used to find out if the cancer has spread within the ovary or to other parts of the body is called staging. The information gathered from the staging process determines the stage of the disease. It is important to know the stage in order to plan the best treatment. An operation called a laparotomy is usually done to find out the stage of the disease. A doctor must cut into the abdomen and carefully look at all the organs to see if they contain cancer. The doctor will also perform a biopsy or a cut out small pieces of tissue so they can be looked at under a microscope to see whether they contain cancer. Usually the doctor will remove the cancer and other organs that contain cancer during the laparotomy.
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