Fig.1 Ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is a cancer that originates in or on an ovary. Symptoms may include pelvic pain, bloating, abdominal swelling, and loss of appetite. Common areas to which the cancer may spread include the lining of the abdomen, lungs, lymph nodes and liver. The risk of ovarian cancer increases in those women who have ovulated more over their lifetime. This includes those who begin ovulation at a younger age, have never had children or reach menopause at an older age. Other risk factors may include hormone therapy after menopause, obesity and fertility medication. Around 10% of cases are related to inherited genetic risk and women with mutations in the genes of BRCA1 or BRCA2, which have around a 50% chance of developing the disease. The most majority type of ovarian cancer, accounting for more than 95% of cases, is ovarian carcinoma. A blood test for CA-125 is recognized as diagnostic marker for ovarian cancer.
