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What is Ovarian Cancer?
Ovarian cancer is cancer that forms in the ovaries. The ovaries are a pair of organs in the female reproductive system, located on either side of the uterus. The ovaries make eggs in addition to the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. These eggs travel from the ovaries to the uterus through the fallopian tubes, where they may be fertilized by male sperm, creating a pregnancy.
There are three main types of ovarian cancer:
- Epithelial: Epithelial cell tumors form in the epithelial cells on the outer surface of the ovaries and account for about 90% of ovarian cancers.
- Germ Cell: Germ cell tumors form in the egg-producing cells of the ovaries and account for about 5% of all ovarian cancers. About 80% of germ cell tumors occur in women younger than 30.
- Sex Cord Stromal: Sex-cord stromal tumors form in the connective tissues of the ovaries that produce estrogen and progesterone. These tumors account for about 5% of all ovarian cancers.
Two other primary tumor sites are also treated and staged the same way as ovarian cancer:
- Primary Peritoneal Carcinoma: Primary peritoneal carcinoma is a form of cancer in which cancer cells similar to cells on the ovarian surface (epithelial cells) form on the lining of the pelvis or abdomen. This cancer can form even if the ovaries have been removed.
- Fallopian Tube Carcinoma: This is a cancer that starts in the lining of the fallopian tube.
