Ovarian Cancer Research Paper
Overview | |
About Ovarian Cancer
Cells in the body normally reproduce themselves in an orderly manner. But in cancer the cells start dividing uncontrollably, and do not die the way normal cells do. As the cells produce more cells, a mass or tumor may appear. The tumor can invade surrounding tissue and keep the healthy tissue from doing its normal job. There are two kinds of tumors: * Benign tumors are not life threatening. They do not invade other tissues and when they are removed they very seldom return. * Malignant tumors are cancerous. These tumors contain cells that divide and grow without order. The cells will invade and take over nearby tissues and can spread (metastasize) to other organs by traveling through the body’s …show more content…
Some of the cells in the ovary produce and store eggs (ova) until they are released into the fallopian tubes and travel to the uterus during the menstrual cycle (ovulation). Other cells in the ovary make the female hormones estrogen and progesterone.
Survival
Ovarian cancer is the ninth most common cancer (other than skin cancer) in women. It ranks fifth as the cause of cancer death in women. Ovarian cancer accounts for 3% of all cancers among US women and is the second most common gynecologic cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be about 21,880 new cases of ovarian cancer in the United States in 2010. About 13,850 women will die of the disease. Despite important advances in the treatment of ovarian cancer, it remains the leading cause of gynecologic cancer death in US women. (ACS Cancer Facts & Figures, 2010).
The good news is that the rate of ovarian cancer has been going down since 1987. During 2001-2006, ovarian cancer incidence declined at a rate of 2.1% per …show more content…
If the cancer reoccurs within 6 months after the completion of therapy it may be referred to as “persistant ovarian cancer.”
Treatment and Side Effects | |
The choice of treatment depends on the woman's age, general health, the histologic type of ovarian cancer, the stage of the disease, the volume or amount of tumor present at initial diagnosis, and the presence of abdominal fluid that contains cancer cells (ascites). In all but the earliest stages of ovarian cancer, a combination of surgery followed by chemotherapy is the standard, traditional treatment. Radiation therapy may also be used in some women but it is not part of current standard therapy and is usually only used in the setting of a clinical trial.
Surgery
Surgery is usually the first treatment for ovarian cancer.
The goal of surgery is threefold: * To confirm the diagnosis, the type of ovarian cancer (tumor histology), and tumor grade (a measure of how abnormal a cancer cell
About Ovarian Cancer
Cells in the body normally reproduce themselves in an orderly manner. But in cancer the cells start dividing uncontrollably, and do not die the way normal cells do. As the cells produce more cells, a mass or tumor may appear. The tumor can invade surrounding tissue and keep the healthy tissue from doing its normal job. There are two kinds of tumors: * Benign tumors are not life threatening. They do not invade other tissues and when they are removed they very seldom return. * Malignant tumors are cancerous. These tumors contain cells that divide and grow without order. The cells will invade and take over nearby tissues and can spread (metastasize) to other organs by traveling through the body’s …show more content…
Some of the cells in the ovary produce and store eggs (ova) until they are released into the fallopian tubes and travel to the uterus during the menstrual cycle (ovulation). Other cells in the ovary make the female hormones estrogen and progesterone.
Survival
Ovarian cancer is the ninth most common cancer (other than skin cancer) in women. It ranks fifth as the cause of cancer death in women. Ovarian cancer accounts for 3% of all cancers among US women and is the second most common gynecologic cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be about 21,880 new cases of ovarian cancer in the United States in 2010. About 13,850 women will die of the disease. Despite important advances in the treatment of ovarian cancer, it remains the leading cause of gynecologic cancer death in US women. (ACS Cancer Facts & Figures, 2010).
The good news is that the rate of ovarian cancer has been going down since 1987. During 2001-2006, ovarian cancer incidence declined at a rate of 2.1% per …show more content…
If the cancer reoccurs within 6 months after the completion of therapy it may be referred to as “persistant ovarian cancer.”
Treatment and Side Effects | |
The choice of treatment depends on the woman's age, general health, the histologic type of ovarian cancer, the stage of the disease, the volume or amount of tumor present at initial diagnosis, and the presence of abdominal fluid that contains cancer cells (ascites). In all but the earliest stages of ovarian cancer, a combination of surgery followed by chemotherapy is the standard, traditional treatment. Radiation therapy may also be used in some women but it is not part of current standard therapy and is usually only used in the setting of a clinical trial.
Surgery
Surgery is usually the first treatment for ovarian cancer.
The goal of surgery is threefold: * To confirm the diagnosis, the type of ovarian cancer (tumor histology), and tumor grade (a measure of how abnormal a cancer cell