In Loving Memory of Beatrice Mc Nutt
1942-1986
Function of the Ovaries
The ovaries are two small egg-filled sac's one on each side of the uterus. Every month one egg or (Ovum) matures and is released from one of the ovaries (a process called Ovulation). The egg travels from the ovaries through one of the fallopian tubes, (two thin tubes leading to the uterus). If an egg joins with a male sperm (a process called fertilization, it develops into a fetus , or an unborn baby. The ovaries also produce the female hormone estrogen.
What is Ovarian Cancer?
Ovarian cancer is caused by malignancies that occur in the ovaries. It's the fifth most common cancer, and has the highest mortality rate of any cancer among women. Ovarian cancer can develop at any age, but is most common after menopause...half of all case's develop after age 65. In 1997, about 26,800 American women were diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and the disease resulted in 14,200 deaths. If diagnosed early, the five year survival rate is 92%; however it is usually detected only after the cancer has spread to organs such as the liver, stomach, diaphram, and intestines. It can also travel through the blood and the lymph system to other parts of the body. On average, only about 50% of women diagnoses with ovarian cancer will survive for five years. It is difficult to diagnose the cancer early, first because the ovaries are situated deep in the pelvis, they can not be easily examined for changes that might suggest a developing malignancy; and the disease grows relatively quickly and cause's few early warning symptoms.
Types of Ovarian Cancer
*Epithelial Ovarian Carcinoma:
The most common type, comprises between 85 and 90% of all ovarian malignancies. It starts in the epithelium, the outer cover of the ovary, and can be classified by the different types of cells they contain. But the cellular type is less important than whether or not the disease is diagnosed early and confined to the ovary, or after it has spread.
*Germ Cell Tumors:
Originate in cells that develop into eggs, and acount for about 10% of ovarian cancers. This type usually occurs in younger, pre-menopausal women. One type of rare malignant germ cell tumor is the immature teratoma; a second type, comprising only 2% of all ovarian cancers, is the dysgerminoma. Most women with these two types of cancer can be cured. The least common germ cell tumors are fast growing endodermal sinus tumors and choriocarcinomas, which also affect young women.
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