varian Cancer Fact Sheet
What are ovaries?
Your ovaries are two glands located on each
side of your uterus.
What ovaries do?
Ovaries are part of a female reproductive organ
responsible for producing eggs and generating
female hormones known as estrogen and
progesterone.
What is ovarian cancer?
Ovarian cancer starts in your ovaries. Cancer cells will grow in your ovaries, if cancer spread
outside of the ovaries, the cancer has metastasized, which means the cancer has spread from the
original organ to another part of your body.
There are three main sites of metastasis with ovarian cancer: liver, lung, and peritoneu
Who is at risk?
Ovarian cancer only occurs in women. It is found mainly in women over the age of 55, but it
may also occur with younger women. There are several factors that may increase your chances
of ovarian cancer.
Increase risk factors:
 Age: 2/3 of women 55 or older  Have close family with ovarian
cancer diagnosis
 Have a genetic mutation like
BRCA1 or BRCA 2
 Hormone replacement
 Have an Eastern European Jewish
background (Ashkenazi)
 Have never given birth
 Obesity  Have endometriosis
Decrease risk factors:
 Use of birth control  Delivered one child by age 30
 Had tubal ligation or hysterectomy  Some studies show breastfeeding
lower the occurrenc
O

And break
the silence
Symptoms of ovarian cancer:
 Pelvis or
abdomen pain
 Bloating in the abdomen
 Constipation  Diarrhea
 Difficulty eating  Feeling full quickly after eating
 Urinary
urgency
 Urinary urgency
 Back pain  Vaginal bleeding or other discharge
different than normal
How many types of ovarian cancer are there?
Statistical Data:
22,280 women new diagnoses a year Every 24 minutes a woman is diagnosed
1 in 72 women are diagnosed yearly 90% will survive longer than 5 yrs. if detected early
14,240 deaths are expected in 2016 5th leading cause of cancer death in women
5 Year survival rate is 42.6%
Which diagnosis evaluations are there?
Pelvic exam, CT/PET Scan, CA 125 Test, MRI, Ultrasound, Lab test
To helpdetermine
if your symptoms
are the cause of
cancer or
something else
see your doctor.
There are over 30 types with three main ones being diagnosed these are:
 Epithelial- Most common affectsthe surface layerof the ovary
 Germ Cell- Developsinthe cellsthat creates you eggs
 Stromal- Developswithinthe cellsthat holds the ovariestogetherand make female
hormones

http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/what-is-cancer/metastatic-fact-sheet
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/ovarian/basic_info/risk_factors.htm
http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@research/documents/document/acspc-047079.pdf
http://www.ocrf.org
http://womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/ovarian-cancer.html