Ovarian Cancer

A cancer that is specific to women is Ovarian cancer. This is cancer that is located in the reproductive organs of the female body. Usually this type of cancer will develop into a tumor. The cancerous cells that spread to the ovaries, one or both, will clump together and form a tumor. If this tumor is caught early on the chances of removing all of the cancer are still high and the survival rate of those diagnosed with an ovarian cancer tumor are higher. If you have a tumor and it has been developing for quite some time undetected by your doctors the tumor may have spread the ovarian cancer throughout your body. beginning with your ovaries. Women who have a tumor because of ovarian cancer often have their ovaries removed, preventing the cancer from spreading to the rest of their body. However the result can be devastating. A tumor that develops in the ovaries of a woman can be classified into three categories.

1.)Stromal. This type of ovarian cancer tumor is named for its placement and function. The tumor develops from tissue that surrounds the ovary. This type is usually very treatable if it is detected early on. The chances of survival are higher if it is caught early and treated right away.

2.) Epithelial. This forms from the tissue that makes up the ovary on the surface. This is one of the most common types that occur with ovarian cancer. Most of the time, these tumors are found to be benign in nature. This means that the tumor is not negatively influencing or changing the body.

3.)Germ Cell. Ovarian cancer tumors develop from the cells and tissue that produce the eggs. There are several different types of germ cell tumors and most are usually benign in nature. If it is considered malignant it may be life threatening. The same treatment applies and removal of the tumor is usually one of the top choices for treatment followed by several rounds of chemotherapy.

With any cancer, it is best to try and catch it early in its stages of development. However this is not always the case and not always possible. Ovarian cancer is hard to detect and there is no set general screening test for it. The lack of screening for ovarian cancer makes it difficult to prevent and there are several other factors that may contribute to its cause and development. Age, health and genetics play a role in the risk factor development of this type of cancer. If you have a family member or you have experienced another type of cancer you are at a higher level of risk to get this cancer. If you have not had children and you are older than 40, you also have a higher risk of getting this disease. There are some ways to help prevent this cancer and to manage it once it is discovered. Some doctors recommend the use of oral contraception since it has shown the ability to lower the risk of ovarian cancer.