Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer among American women (excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer) and the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths among women.  Each year, over 25,000 new cases of the disease are diagnosed in this country, while 16,000 women die from it. It is one of the most lethal cancers affecting women. One of the reasons ovarian cancer is so deadly is that it's frequently asymptomatic and is detected late in the disease after it has spread. Symptoms of ovarian cancer include abnormal bleeding, stomach pain or abdominal pain, a bloated feeling, urgent urination and a swollen abdominal area, but symptoms don't usually appear until the cancer is fairly advanced. Risk factors for the disease include advancing age; never having children; North American or northern European descent; endometrial, colon, or breast cancer; and a family history of ovarian cancer.

If a pelvic exam and ultrasound indicate the presence of an ovarian tumor, additional tests may be recommended to confirm a diagnosis of cancer. The disease is treated with surgery, followed by chemotherapy, and in some cases, radiation. As with all other cancers, the earlier it's caught, the better chance there is of a cure.