OVARIAN CANCER
Cancer is a disease in which cells
in the body grow out of control. Cancer is always named
for the part of the body where it starts, even if it
spreads to other body parts later. When cancer starts
in the ovaries, it is called ovarian cancer. Women
have two ovaries that are located in the pelvis, one
on each side of the uterus. The ovaries make female
hormones and produce eggs.
Ovarian cancer causes more deaths
than any other cancer of the female reproductive system.†
But when ovarian cancer is found in its early stages,
treatment is most effective. Ovarian cancer often causes
signs and symptoms, so it is important to pay attention
to your body and know what is normal for you. Symptoms
may be caused by something other than cancer, but the
only way to know is to see your doctor, nurse, or other
health care professional.
Know your risk
All women are at risk for ovarian
cancer, but older women are more likely to get the
disease than younger women. About 90 percent of women
who get ovarian cancer are older than 40 years of age,
with the greatest number being aged 55 years or older.
In 2004,* 20,095 women in the United States were told
that they have ovarian cancer, making it the second
most common gynecologic cancer, after uterine.† Ovarian
cancer causes more deaths than any other gynecologic
cancer in the U.S., but it accounts for only about
3 percent of all cancers in women.
*The most recent year for
which statistics are currently available.
†U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group. United States
Cancer Statistics: 2004 Incidence and Mortality. Atlanta
(GA): Department of Health and Human Services, Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Cancer
Institute; 2007.
Ovarian Cancer RESOURCES On-line
More details, including medically
graphic images, can be found at thewebsite. Please
click here
• Learn more about ovarian cancer
and its signs and symptoms by reading online: Ovarian
Cancer Basic Information
has up-to-date information for patients
and practitioners about ovarian cancer. To go to
NCI main web page please
click here
MedlinePlus will direct you to
information to help answer health questions. MedlinePlus
brings together authoritative information from
NLM, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and
other government agencies and health-related organizations.
MedlinePlus also has extensive information about
drugs, an illustrated medical encyclopedia, interactive
patient tutorials, and latest health news. Please
click here
is the nationwide
community-based voluntary health organization dedicated
to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing
cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from
cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and service. To get to
the ACS ovarian cancer information pages please
click here
Printed materials
to download
This section has pdf
(Adobe Acrobat format) files of useful resources created
by various agencies that can be downloaded directly
from the pacificcancer.org website. The organization,
year of publication and size of the pdf file are listed.
Publications form the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To download CDC's Inside
Knowledge campaign's ovarian cancer fact sheet (pdf
286KB): This basic two-page fact sheet describes the
parts of the uterus and answers common questions about
uterine cancer please
click here
NCI's booklet "What
You Need To Know About Ovarian Cancer" You
will read about possible causes, screening, symptoms,
diagnosis, treatment, and supportive care. You will
also find ideas about how to cope with the disease. NCI
2006, 44 pages (pdf 468K). To download the pdf file please
click here
on-line tools
To estimate your risk of ovarian
cancer and learn about ways to lower that risk, take
a few minutes to answer some questions about your
health, background, and lifestyle. To take the questionnaire
online please
click here
Ovarian cancer is fairly rare
among women in the US. Though hard to find in early
stages, there are steps women can take to help protect
themselves.MedlinePlus will direct you to information
to help answer health questions. MedlinePlus brings
together authoritative information from NLM, the National
Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies
and health-related organizations. MedlinePlus also
has extensive information about drugs, an illustrated
medical encyclopedia, interactive patient tutorials,
and latest health news. Please
click here
Acknowledgment: This text is adapted
from the CDC website.
†U.S. Cancer Statistics
Working Group. United States Cancer Statistics: 2004
Incidence and Mortality. Atlanta (GA): Department of
Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, and National Cancer Institute; 2007.
*The most recent year for which statistics are currently
available.
