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​​Ovarian cancer is a malignancy of the almond-shaped organs in the female reproductive system that produce eggs and certain hormones. It is said to be the sixth leading cause of cancer death in women in the United States.

Ovarian cancer occurs in three types:

• Ovarian epithelial cancer begins in the tissue covering the ovary, in the lining of the fallopian tube, or in the peritoneum.

• Ovarian germ cell tumors start in the eggs, also known as germ cells.

• Ovarian borderline tumors begin in the tissue covering the ovary. Abnormal cells are present that may become cancer, but usually do not. 
   

Ovarian epithelial cancer is closely related to cancers of the fallopian tubes (which deliver eggs from the ovaries to the uterus) and the peritoneum (which lines the abdominal wall and covers the abdominal organs), and all three cancers are diagnosed and treated in the same way.
 

Ovarian cancer may cause nonspecific symptoms, such as abdominal swelling or pain, or no symptoms at all. No screen testing to date has shown to decrease the rate of death from ovarian cancer. As a result, ovarian cancer often goes undetected until it has reached an advanced stage. The five-year relative survival rate is 51.6%.
 

About 1.1% of women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer at some point in their lifetime, according the NCI’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program. It was estimated that approximately 20,890 women in the United States would receive a diagnosis of ovarian cancer in 2025, according to SEER estimates. Approximately, 12,730 women are estimated to die from the disease.
 

Family history and inherited gene mutations such as: BRCA1 and BRCA2 are among the risk factors for ovarian cancer. 

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It is important to get an annual OBGYN examination to stay on top of any vaginal abnormalities.  

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By Dietra Myers

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