Ovarian cancer

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Ascites with ovarian cancer, CT scan	Female reproductive anatomy	Ovarian cancer	Ovarian cancer dangers
Ovarian cancer metastasis	Ovarian growth worries	Peritoneal and ovarian cancer, CT scan	Uterus

Cancer - ovaries

Surgery is the preferred treatment and is often needed to diagnose ovarian cancer.

Studies have shown that surgery performed by a specialist in gynecologic oncology results in a higher cure rate.

Chemotherapy is used as after surgery to treat any remaining disease. Chemotherapy can also be used if the cancer comes back.

Radiation therapy is rarely used in ovarian cancer in the United States.

For additional information and resources, cancer support group.

Ovarian cancer is rarely diagnosed in its early stages. It is usually quite advanced by the time diagnosis is made. The outcome is often poor.

• About 76% of women with ovarian cancer survive 1 year after diagnosis.
• About 45% live longer than 5 years after diagnosis.
• If diagnosis is made early in the disease and treatment is received before the cancer spreads outside the ovary, the 5-year survival rate is about 94%.

• Spread of the cancer to other organs
• Loss of organ function
• Fluid in the abdomen (ascites)
• Blockage of the intestines

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if you are a woman over 40 years old who has not recently had a Pap smear and pelvic examination. Routine Pap smears and pelvic examinations are recommended for all women over 20 years old.

Call for an appointment with your provider if you have symptoms of ovarian cancer.

Review Date: 09/11/2006
Reviewed By: Rita Nanda, M.D., Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.