Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer starts in one or both ovaries, or in the fallopian tubes, or in the abdominal lining called the peritoneum.

Learning more about ovarian cancer epidemiology can help doctors come up with more targeted treatments for the disease.

Non-Hispanic Black women are less likely to get ovarian cancer than women of other races.

Women between the ages of 55 and 63 are most likely to get ovarian cancer. But it can happen in younger women, too.

In its early stages, ovarian cancer may not cause symptoms you would notice. Even as it advances, the signs can be unclear.

If your OB/GYN tells you that you have ovarian cysts, it might make you worry about ovarian cancer.

You can have ovarian cancer but have few or no symptoms in the early stages. A sign that you may overlook is weight gain.

In some cases, bloating could be a symptom of ovarian cancer. The reason is because of fluid buildup inside the abdomen.

If you have ovarian cancer and your bathroom routine is out of whack, you’re not alone.

Pain -- sharp or dull, in your belly, pelvis, or elsewhere -- can be one of the earliest warning signs of ovarian cancer.

If you have advanced ovarian cancer, your symptoms may be harder to manage than before it spread.

If you have breast cancer, or if someone in your family had it, that can play a role in whether you develop ovarian cancer.

Experts aren't certain what causes ovarian cancer, but research has found a connection between the cancer and chlamydia.

If you’re a transgender man and you still have your ovaries, you have some risk for ovarian cancer.

The types of ovarian cancer are grouped by three main types of cells in the ovaries, and a tumor can develop in any of them.

An ovarian germ cell tumor is a growth in a woman's ovaries. Most of these tumors aren’t cancer.

Ovarian epithelial cancer is the most common type of ovarian cancer. It begins on the outside of the ovaries.

Ovarian low malignant potential tumors start in the tissue that covers the outside of the ovary. They usually grow slowly.

If you or your doctor is concerned that you might have ovarian cancer, there is no single test that will tell you for sure.

To gauge your odds of ovarian cancer, doctors run a test of your blood -- or sometimes saliva -- called the BRCA gene test.

The CA-125 test looks for certain proteins in your blood. Ovarian cancer can be the reason for these proteins.

While experts are constantly looking for better ways to screen and test for ovarian cancer, they haven’t had much success.

An ovarian cancer diagnosis can feel overwhelming. The good news is, there are things you can do on your path to recovery.

For ovarian cancer, doctors figure out your stage by testing tissue samples from different parts of your pelvis and belly.

Stage I ovarian cancer when cancer is in one or both of your ovaries. But the cancer hasn't spread to any other areas.

If your doctor says you have stage II ovarian cancer, it means the cancer has moved beyond your ovaries to areas nearby.

Stage III ovarian cancer means the cancer is inside one or both of the ovaries or fallopian tubes and in the peritoneum.

Stage IV ovarian cancer is when the cancer that started in your ovaries or fallopian tubes has spread to other areas.

When you've been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, your doctor will work with you to decide what treatment is right for you.

If you have ovarian cancer, you may be worried about your diagnosis and prognosis -- as well as the cost of treatment.

Ongoing research and treatment advances give women with advanced ovarian cancers more options and the chance to live longer.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising way to kill ovarian cancer cells.

Because of such negative outcomes for advanced ovarian cancer, many doctors urge their patients to join in clinical trials.

A gynecologic oncologist does ovarian cancer surgery. This doctor treats cancers of a woman's reproductive tract.

A type of exploratory surgery called “upfront cytoreductive surgery” looks for signs of ovarian cancer in the abdominal cavity.

An oophorectomy is surgery to remove your ovaries. You might also hear it called ovary removal surgery.

Interval debulking surgery is a way to treat advanced ovarian cancer when primary surgery isn’t possible.

Chemotherapy is usually recommended after surgery to treat most stages of ovarian cancer.

Get answers to your questions about chemotherapy for ovarian cancer.

Intraperitoneal chemotherapy is a type of ovarian cancer treatment in which chemo drugs are pumped into your belly cavity.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is a treatment for advanced ovarian cancer. It uses chemo drugs to shrink tumors before surgery.

Radiation therapy may help some people with ovarian cancer. It’s not used much for this cancer, but it can help ease pain.

Proton beam therapy is a type of radiation that destroys tumor cells. This is an option for advanced ovarian cancer.

Targeted therapy uses drugs to identify specific and unique features of ovarian cancer cells to attack them.

Zejula (niraparib) is a targeted therapy for certain types of advanced ovarian cancer.In platinum-based chemotherapy, the platinum in the medicine binds to the genetic material (DNA) of cancer cells.

Although immunotherapy doesn’t work for everyone, it’s quickly becoming an option for people with returning ovarian cancer.

A new group of targeted cancer drugs called PARP inhibitors are changing the way doctors treat ovarian cancer.

Lynparza treats ovarian cancer by blocking the PARP protein and preventing it from repairing the DNA of cancer cells.

Scientists continue to study new treatments for drug-resistant ovarian cancer. Mirvetuximab soravtansine shows promise.

Hormone therapy is a type of treatment your doctor may recommend as part of therapy for certain types of ovarian cancer.

Aromatase inhibitors treat some ovarian tumors and low-grade ovarian cancers, but only in women who are past menopause.

Ovarian cancer treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy can cause different side effects.

Ovarian cancer treatments can affect your fertility or even cause infertility.

Surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy for ovarian cancer and other cancers can cause women to start early menopause.

Medically induced menopause is almost universal during ovarian cancer treatment.

With ovarian cancer, you may feel scared and overwhelmed. It’s important to make yourself a priority during this time.

It’s no mystery why people may find it difficult to begin or keep an exercise routine after a diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

Cancer dietitians can offer helpful tips for staying nourished during your ovarian cancer journey.

If you have ovarian cancer and want to have a child, fertility preservation techniques or fertility treatments could help.

Your sex life may change with ovarian cancer. Changes in hormones and treatments may make your body feel different.

When you’re diagnosed with late-stage (stage IV) ovarian cancer, you probably have lots of questions.

If you have late-stage ovarian cancer, your diet can be a powerful ally in your treatment.

Finding out you have last-stage ovarian cancer can be overwhelming. But how do you talk about your diagnosis?

After you’ve been diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer, planning ahead might be the last thing you want to think about.

When you or someone you love is diagnosed with ovarian cancer, you want to learn everything you can about it.

Having ovarian cancer takes a toll on your body. It can affect your mental health, too.

Studies show that people with ovarian cancer who start palliative care early in their treatment have a better quality of life.

If you’ve been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, there’s a chance you also may have one or more other medical conditions.

A bowel obstruction can be a complication of ovarian cancer. You’re more likely to get this if your cancer is advanced.

Peritoneal cancer is related to the most common kind of ovarian cancer. The two illnesses cause some of the same symptoms.

When ovarian cancer spreads, cancer cells may reach your liver, lungs, or other places in your body.

Sometimes, ovarian cancer spreads to nearby organs like your liver. When that happens, it’s called metastasis.

Though ovarian cancer could come back anywhere in your body, it most commonly recurs close to the original cancer site.

Ovarian cancer can raise your risk for developing a different, second cancer in another part of the body later on.

What's it like to be diagnosed with low-grade serous ovarian cancer? Rachel Sackett Putnam, an LGSOC survivor, shares her experience.

Learn about ovarian cancer and ways to take care of yourself.

Find out where ovarian cancer patients typically experience pain, and discover the different ways to find relief during cancer treatment.

Find out what you need to know about ovarian cancer recurrence and its dangers. What should you do when the cancer comes back after treatment?

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