Ovarian Cancer; Overview.Ovarian cancer ovarian cancerMalignant tumour of the ovaries. Risk factors include early age of first menstruation (before age 12), late onset of menopause (after age 52), absence of pregnancy, presence of specific genetic mutations, use of fertility drugs, and personal history of breast is the most fatal of all cancers involving a woman's reproductive tract. Most ovarian cancer develops after menopause; half of ovarian cancers are found in women older than age 63. Only 19 percent of ovarian cancers are diagnosed at an early stage, when the disease is confined to the ovary ovary, ductless gland of the female in which the ova (female reproductive cells) are produced. In vertebrate animals the ovary also secretes the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone, which control the development of the sexual organs and the secondary sexual and is most easily treated. Women diagnosed in the early stages have a 90-95 percent chance of surviving at least five years. About 76 percent of women with ovarian cancer survive one year after diagnosis, and 45 percent survive five years after being diagnosed. The survival rate drops as the stage of the cancer increases, with a less than 14 percent five-year survival rate in women whose cancer has spread beyond the abdomen. Younger women (below age 65) have a better five-year survival rate than older women. An estimated 20,180 American women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2006, according to the American Cancer Society, and about 15,310 will die of the disease. The ovaries are the part of the female reproductive organs Reproductive organs The group of organs (including the testes, ovaries, and uterus) whose purpose is to produce a new individual and continue the species. Mentioned in: Choriocarcinoma that produce eggs every month during a woman's reproductive cycle. The ovaries are about the size and shape of an almond (1 1/2 inches long), but after menopause, they shrink to about half their original size. They are located on either side of the lower abdomen. Women who still have periods can develop cysts on the ovary, which can be felt on a pelvic exam or seen via x-rays or other tests. They are rarely cancerous, particularly in younger women. Cysts are less common in women who have already gone through menopause. If cysts occur in these women, they're more likely to be cancerous. A cyst cyst, abnormal sac in the body, filled with a fluid or semisolid and enclosed in a membrane. Cysts can be congenital but are usually acquired, the most common locations being the skin and the ovaries. or an enlarged ovary in a woman who has gone through menopause should always be evaluated quickly to make sure it is not a cancer. In ovarian cancer, the cells of the ovary grow and divide uncontrollably. The cells may form a tumor on the ovary, parts of which can break off and spread to other parts of the body. Although ovarian cancer can spread throughout the body and affect other organs and systems (brain, lungs, breast and lymph nodes, for example), in most cases it stays in the abdomen and affects organs such as the intestines, liver and stomach. There are many different types of ovarian cancer. Most (85 to 90 percent) cancers of the ovary come from the cells that make up the outer lining, and are called epithelial ovarian cancers. Although most epithelial ovarian cancers occur in women without a family history of the disease, about five to 10 percent of women with ovarian epithelial cancer have other family members who also had the same cancer. The symptoms of ovarian cancer (particularly in its early stage) are often not obvious or intense. They include: pelvic or abdominal pain, pressure or discomfort vague but persistent gastrointestinal upsets such as gas, nausea and indigestion frequency and/or urgency of urination urination Process of excreting urine from the bladder (see urinary system). Nerve centres in the spinal cord, brain stem, and cerebral cortex control it through involuntary and voluntary muscles. The need to void is felt when the bladder holds 3. in absence of an infection changes in bowel habits weight gain or loss; particularly weight gain in the abdominal area pelvic or abdominal swelling, bloating or a feeling of fullness back or leg pain pain during intercourse ongoing fatigue unusual vaginal bleeding A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association is an international peer-reviewed general medical journal, published 48 times per year by the American Medical Association. JAMA is the most widely circulated medical journal in the world. found that 94 percent of women surveyed who were diagnosed with ovarian cancer had symptoms in the year prior to their diagnosis, and 67 percent had recurring symptoms. References Lacey JV Jr, Mink PJ, Lubin JH, et al. Menopausal hormone replacement therapy Hormone Replacement Therapy Definition Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the use of synthetic or natural female hormones to make up for the decline or lack of natural hormones produced in a woman's body. and risk of ovarian cancer. JAMA. 2002 Jul 17;288(3):334-41. Erratum [Latin, Error.] The term used in the Latin formula for the assignment of mistakes made in a case. After reviewing a case, if a judge decides that there was no error, he or she indicates so by replying, "In nollo est erratum in: JAMA 2002 Nov 27;288(20):2544. Anderson GL, Judd HL, Kaunitz AM, Barad DH, Beresford SA, Pettinger M, Liu J, McNeeley SG, Lopez AM; Women's Health Initiative Women's Health Initiative A 15-yr, $628 million project involving 1. An observational study of the health habits and medical Hx of ±100,000 ♀ 2. Investigators. Effects of estrogen plus progestin progestin /pro·ges·tin/ (-jes´tin) progestational agent. pro·ges·tin n. 1. A natural or synthetic progestational substance that mimics some or all of the actions of progesterone. on gynecologic gynecologic /gy·ne·co·log·ic/ (gi?ne-) (jin?e-kah-loj´ik) pertaining to the female reproductive tract or to gynecology. cancers and associated diagnostic procedures: the Women's Health Initiative randomized trial. JAMA. 2003 Oct 1;290(13):1739-48. "Ovarian Risk Tied to Body Size" American Cancer Society. Nov. 9, 2001. http://www.cancer.org. Accessed Sept. 2004. "Breakthrough Helps Ovarian Cancer Patients Beat Odds" National Ovarian Cancer Coalition. http://www.ovarian.org. Accessed Sept. 2004. "Ovarian Cancer." CancerNet. National Cancer Institute. National Institutes of Health. http://www.cancer.gov. Accessed Sept. 2004. "What Every Woman Should Know About Cancer." National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, http://www.ovarian.org. Accessed Dec. 2001. "Ovarian, Uterine & Colon Cancers: Be Aware." National Women's Health Resource Center Health Report. Vol. 21, No. 1. February 1999. Petricoin EF, Ardekani AM, Hitt BA, Levine PJ, Fusaro VA, Steinberg SM, Mills GB, Simone C, Fishman DA, Kohn EC, Liotta LA. Use of proteomic patterns in serum to identify ovarian cancer. Lancet. 2002 Feb 16;359(9306):572-7. American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts and Figures, 2004..Available at: http://www.cancer.org. Accessed September 9, 2004. Goff BA, Mandel LS, Melancon CH, Muntz HG. Frequency of symptoms of ovarian cancer in women presenting to primary care clinics. JAMA. 2004 Jun 9;291(22):2705-12 Questions and Answers: OvaCheckT and NCI/FDA Ovarian Cancer Clinical Trials Using Proteomics Technology. National Cancer Institute. [Press release]. Available at http://www.cancer.gov. Accessed July 20, 2004. Conrads TP, Fusaro VA, Ross S, et.al., High-resolution serum proteomic features for ovarian cancer detection. Endocr Relat Cancer. 2004 Jun;11(2):163-78. "Questions and answers about the CA-125 test." Johns Hopkins Pathology. August 2003. http://ovariancancer.jhmi.edu. Accessed April 2006. "How is ovarian cancer found?" The American Cancer Society. March 2006. http://www.cancer.org. Accessed April 2006. "How is ovarian cancer treated?" The American Cancer Society. March 2006. http://www.cancer.org. Accessed April 2006. "What's new in ovarian cancer treatment and research?" The American Cancer Society. March 2006. http://www.cancer.org. Accessed April 2006. "Can ovarian cancer be prevented?" The American Cancer Society. March 2006. http://www.cancer.org Accessed April 2006. "What are the key statistics about ovarian cancer?" The American Cancer Society. March 2006. http://www.cancer.org. Accessed April 2006. "Do we know what causes ovarian cancer?" The American Cancer Society. March 2006. http://www.cancer.org. Accessed April 2006. "Questions and answers about Doxil." Doxil.com. http://72.14.203.104. Accessed April 2006. "Treatment for Epithelial Ovarian Cancers by Stage." The American Cancer Society. March 2006. http://www.cancer.org. Accessed April 2006. "Docetaxel With or Without Phenoxodiol in Treating Patients With Recurrent Advanced Ovarian Epithelial Cancer, Fallopian Tube Cancer, or Primary Peritoneal Cavity Cancer." Clinicaltrials.gov. March 2006. http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Accessed April 2006. Keywords: Endometrium endometrium /en·do·me·tri·um/ (-me´tre-um) pl. endome´tria the mucous membrane lining the uterus. en·do·me·tri·um n. pl. ,Keloids,Malignant,Nicotine,Anti-La,Breast implant |
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