- Ovarian cancer begins in the ovaries when abnormal cell growth occurs. These cells accumulate and form tumors or lumps that may invade, compress or destroy normal tissue.
- Some tumors that grow in the ovaries are benign, or noncancerous, and never spread beyond the ovary. Patients can be cured by the surgical removal of part or all of the ovary that contains the tumor.
- The more complex tumors are malignant, or cancerous, and have the potential to spread to other parts of the body (i.e., metastasize).
- There are three main types of ovarian tumors and they are classified according to the type of cell from which they develop:
- Epithelial tumors start from cells that cover the outer surface of the ovary and account for the majority of cancers of the ovary.
- Germ cell tumors start from the cells that produce the egg.
- Stromal tumors start from the connective tissue cells that hold the ovary together and produce female hormones, estrogen and progesterone.
- There are four stages of ovarian cancer and they differ by the degree to which they have spread:
- Stage I: Disease is limited to one or both ovaries.
- Stage II: Cancer has spread beyond the ovaries, but is limited to the surrounding pelvic region.
- Stage III: Cancer has spread beyond the ovary, but is still limited to the pelvis and abdominal cavity, excluding the liver, and may also have spread to the lymph nodes.
- Stage IV: Cancer has metastasized or spread outside the ovary and abdomen, to the liver, lungs or other organs located outside of the abdominal area. This is the most advanced stage of cancer.
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