Ovarian Cancer

On this page

Summary

The ovaries are part of the female reproductive system. They produce a woman's eggs and female hormones. Each ovary is about the size and shape of an almond.

Cancer of the ovary is not common, but it causes more deaths than other female reproductive cancers. The sooner ovarian cancer is found and treated, the better your chance for recovery. But ovarian cancer is hard to detect early. Women with ovarian cancer may have no symptoms or just mild symptoms until the disease is in an advanced stage. Then it is hard to treat. Symptoms may include

A heavy feeling in the pelvis
Pain in the lower abdomen
Bleeding from the vagina
Weight gain or loss
Abnormal periods
Unexplained back pain that gets worse
Gas, nausea, vomiting, or loss of appetite

To diagnose ovarian cancer, doctors do one or more tests. They include a physical exam, a pelvic exam, lab tests, ultrasound, or a biopsy. Treatment is usually surgery followed by chemotherapy.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Start Here

General Information About Ovarian, Fallopian Tube, and Primary Peritoneal Cancer (National Cancer Institute)
Ovarian Cancer (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Ovarian Cancer Fact Sheet (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
What Is Ovarian Cancer? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Symptoms

Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

Abdominal exploration - slideshow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Alpha Fetoprotein (AFP) Tumor Marker Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
BRCA Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
CA 125 Blood Test (Ovarian Cancer) (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Can Ovarian Cancer Be Found Early? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
CEA Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
How Is Ovarian Cancer Diagnosed? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
How Is Ovarian Cancer Staged? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
Laparoscopy (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Ovarian, Fallopian Tube, and Primary Peritoneal Cancer Screening (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Risk Assessment, Genetic Counseling, and Genetic Testing for BRCA-Related Cancer in Women (U.S. Preventive Services Task Force) - PDF
Screening for Ovarian Cancer (American College of Physicians) - PDF
Stages of Ovarian Epithelial, Fallopian Tube, and Primary Peritoneal Cancer (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Stages of Ovarian Low Malignant Potential Tumors (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Tumor Marker Tests (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

Can Ovarian Cancer Be Prevented? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
Digital Rectal Exam (DRE) (American Society of Clinical Oncology) Also in Spanish
Ovarian, Fallopian Tube, and Primary Peritoneal Cancer Prevention (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Prophylactic Oophorectomy: Preventing Cancer by Surgically Removing Your Ovaries (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
What Are the Risk Factors for Ovarian Cancer? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

Drugs Approved for Ovarian, Fallopian Tube, or Primary Peritoneal Cancer (National Cancer Institute)
Gynecologic Cancers: Treatment Types (American Society for Radiation Oncology)
Ovarian Germ Cell Tumors Treatment (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Treatment for Stromal Tumors of the Ovary (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
Treatment Option Overview (Ovarian Epithelial, Fallopian Tube, and Primary Peritoneal Cancer) (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Treatment Option Overview (Ovarian Germ Cell Tumors) (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Treatment Option Overview (Ovarian Low Malignant Potential Tumors) (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Treatment Options by Stage (Ovarian Epithelial, Fallopian Tube, and Primary Peritoneal Cancer) (National Cancer Institute)
Treatment Options By Stage (Ovarian Germ Cell Tumors) (National Cancer Institute)
Treatment Options for Ovarian Low Malignant Potential Tumors (National Cancer Institute)

Living With

Cancer and Stress (Foundation for Women's Cancer)
What Will Happen After Treatment for Ovarian Cancer? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

Cancer Treatment for Women: Possible Sexual Side Effects (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Oral Contraceptives and Cancer Risk (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Ovarian Cancer: Still Possible After Hysterectomy? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Risks of Ovarian, Fallopian Tube, and Primary Peritoneal Cancer Screening (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Specifics

General Information about Ovarian Epithelial Cancer (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
General Information about Ovarian Germ Cell Tumors (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
General Information about Ovarian Low Malignant Potential Tumors (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Primary Peritoneal Cancer (Foundation for Women's Cancer)

Genetics

BRCA1 and BRCA2: Cancer Risk and Genetic Testing (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Breast and Ovarian Cancer and Family History Risk Categories (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Do We Know What Causes Ovarian Cancer? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
Does Breast or Ovarian Cancer Run in Your Family? (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
Genetic Counseling and Evaluation for BRCA1/2 Testing (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
ovarian cancer: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Images

Ovarian Cancer Stage I (National Cancer Institute)
Ovarian Cancer Stage II (National Cancer Institute)
Ovarian Cancer Stage IIIC (National Cancer Institute)
Ovarian Cancer Stage IV (National Cancer Institute)

Statistics and Research

Ovarian Cancer Statistics (National Cancer Institute)
What Are the Key Statistics about Ovarian Cancer? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
What's New in Ovarian Cancer Research and Treatment? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Ovarian Neoplasms (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Reference Desk

Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Normal Female Reproductive Anatomy (National Cancer Institute)

Find an Expert

American Cancer Society
Find a Cancer Doctor (American Society of Clinical Oncology)
National Cancer Institute Also in Spanish
NCI Designated Cancer Centers (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Organizations That Offer Support Services (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
womenshealth.gov (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Also in Spanish

Children

Childhood Ovarian Cancer Treatment

Patient Handouts

BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene testing (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
CA-125 blood test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Ovarian cancer (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Ovarian Cancer (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF Also in Spanish

Topic Image

Stay Connected

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Ovarian Cancer is the National Cancer Institute

Disclaimers

MedlinePlus links to health information from the National Institutes of Health and other federal government agencies. MedlinePlus also links to health information from non-government Web sites. See our disclaimer about external links and our quality guidelines.