Ovarian Cancer is the 5th leading cause of cancer related deaths among women. Estimated news cases and deaths from ovarian cancer in the united states in 2009 : new cases : 21550, Deaths : 14.600. Ovarian cancer begins in the ovaries but may spread to other organs in advanced stages of the disease.
Ovarian Cancer Stages
The most common form of ovarian cancer, epithelial ovarian cancer, develops from the cells that cover the outer surface of the ovary, and is identified in four separate stages.
1. Stage I – Growth of the cancer is limited to one or both ovaries.
2. Stage II – Growth of the cancer involves one or both ovaries and has spread to other areas within the pelvis.
3. Stage III – Growth of the cancer involves one or both ovaries and has spread to the lining of the abdomen or lymph nodes (small glands in the body).
• Cancer cells are in the lining of the abdomen but are too small to see without a microscope. The cancer has not yet spread to lymph nodes.
• The tumor is in one or both ovaries, and deposits of cancer in the abdomen are large enough for the surgeon to see, but do not exceed 2cm in diameter. The cancer has not yet spread to the lymph nodes.
• The tumor is on one or both ovaries and one or both of the following is present: 1) the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes; and/or 2) the deposits of cancer exceed 2cm in diameter and are found in the abdomen.
4. Stage IV – This is the most advanced stage of ovarian cancer in which the cancer growth involves one or both ovaries and the cancer has spread to other organs in the body such as the liver and lungs.

Unfortunately, 75% of women with ovarian cancer are not diagnosed until the disease is at an advanced stage (Stage III or IV). If caught in stage I, the five year survival rate is over 90%. If caught in stage III or IV, the survival rate can be as low as 29%.

Risk Factors
Since early diagnosis is so important, it is crucial for women to recognize the risk factors for this
disease, including:
• Genetic predisposition
• Personal or family history of breast
• ovarian or colon cancer
• Increasing age
• Undesired infertility
If a woman’s risk factors fit any of these criteria, she should consult her doctor.

Screening
While there is no consistently reliable, accurate screening test to detect ovarian cancer, the
following tests are available and should be used under the supervision of a medical professional:
• Annual vaginal exam for women age 18 and above and annual rectovaginal exam or women age 35 and above.
• Transvaginal sonography, especially for those at high risk. (An ultrasound performed with a small instrument placed in the vagina.)
• CA-125 blood test to determine if the level of a tumor marker called CA-125 has increased in the blood for women at high risk.

NOTE: A traditional Pap Test does not detect ovarian cancer.

Ovarian Cancer Symptoms
• Pelvic or abdominal pain or discomfort
• Vague but persistent gastrointestinal upsets such as gas, nausea, and indigestion
• Frequency and/or urgency of urination in the absence of an infection
• Unexplained weight gain or weight loss
• Pelvic and/or abdominal swelling, bloating and/or feeling of fullness
• Ongoing unusual fatigue
• Unexplained changes in bowel habits

Treatment Options for Ovarian Cancer
• Surgery to remove the cancerous growth.
• Chemotherapy relies on drugs to kill cancerous cells.
• Radiation therapy uses high-energy xrays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors.

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