What is Ovarian Cancer?

Cancer occurs when cells in the body begin changing and multiplying out of control. These cells can form lumps of tissue called tumors. Cancer that starts in the ovaries is called ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer can spread from the ovaries to other parts of the body. This spread is called metastasis. In general, the more cancer spreads, the harder it is to treat.

Since only women have ovaries, only women can get this kind of cancer. 

Understanding the ovaries

The ovaries are a pair of walnut-sized organs in a woman's pelvic area. They are located on either side of the uterus (the organ that holds the baby when a woman is pregnant). Ovaries keep and release the eggs that, when combined with a man's sperm, can grow into a baby. The ovaries also make the female hormones progesterone and estrogen.

When a woman reaches menopause (the "change of life"), her ovaries stop releasing eggs and stop making certain hormones. 

 When ovarian cancer forms

There are 3 different types of ovarian tumors:

• Epithelial tumors form in the cells that cover the outer surface of the ovaries. This is the most common type of ovarian cancer.
• Germ cell tumors form in the cells inside the ovary that produce eggs. These rare tumors are most common in women in their teens and early twenties. There are different subtypes of germ cell tumors. 
• Stromal tumors grow from the support cells that hold the ovaries together and make female hormones. This is a rare form of ovarian cancer.

Treatment choices for ovarian cancer

You and your healthcare provider will discuss a treatment plan that's best for your needs. Treatment choices may include:

• Staging procedures in which tissues are sampled to gauge the extent of the cancer—a key step that is used to guide post-operative chemotherapy and other future treatments.
• Surgery can be performed to remove the ovary with cancer or both the ovaries and nearby cancerous tissue and organs, which is referred to as debulking surgery.  
• Robot-assisted surgery can also be used to treat early-stage ovarian cancer in cases where the cancer is thought to be confined to the ovaries.
• Chemotherapy, which uses strong medicines to kill cancer cells. This treatment is often used along with surgery.
• Targeted therapy might be used for more advanced ovarian cancer. These drugs target changes in the cancer cells to kill them while sparing normal cells.
• Hormone therapy can help treat stromal tumors. It blocks the hormones that help these tumors grow.
• Radiation therapy, which uses directed rays of energy to kill cancer cells, is sometimes used in the treatment of ovarian cancer. Radiation therapy is not a common main treatment for ovarian cancer.

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