- Ovarian cancer can cause death. Ovarian cancer frequently does not cause symptoms early in the disease, and it is often not diagnosed until the later stages when it is harder to treat.
- However, survival rates are relatively high when the disease is detected early, and about 30% of women live 10 years or more following diagnosis.
Ovarian Cancer Survival Rates
- Life expectancy for ovarian cancer is often expressed in five-year survival rates, that is, how many people will be alive five years after diagnosis.
- Survival rates vary depending on the type of ovarian cancer, which are noted in the tables below for each ovarian cancer type.
| Category | Characteristics | Survival Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Localized | No sign that cancer has spread outside the ovaries | 92% |
| Regional | Cancer has spread outside the ovaries to nearby structures or lymph nodes | 76% |
| Distant | Cancer has spread to distant parts of the body, such as the liver or lungs | 30% |
| Category | Characteristics | Survival Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Localized | No sign that cancer has spread outside the ovaries | 98% |
| Regional | Cancer has spread outside the ovaries to nearby structures or lymph nodes | 89% |
| Distant | Cancer has spread to distant parts of the body, such as the liver or lungs | 54% |
| Category | Characteristics | Survival Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Localized | No sign that cancer has spread outside the ovaries | 98% |
| Regional | Cancer has spread outside the ovaries to nearby structures or lymph nodes | 94% |
| Distant | Cancer has spread to distant parts of the body, such as the liver or lungs | 74% |
Factors that can affect the prognosis include:
- How early the cancer is detected
- How much the cancer has spread (metastasized)
- Overall health
- Age
- How well the cancer responds to treatment
What Are Symptoms and Signs of Ovarian Cancer?
Early-stage ovarian cancer often does not cause symptoms.
When symptoms of ovarian cancer occur, they may include:
- Pelvic or abdominal pain
- Bloating
- Feeling full quickly or after small amounts of food
- Urinary symptoms
- Urgency
- Frequency
- Loss of appetite
- Upset stomach
- Fatigue
- Weight loss
- Back pain
- Mass felt in the abdomen
- Pain during intercourse
- Constipation
- Menstrual changes
How Is Ovarian Cancer Diagnosed?
Ovarian cancer is diagnosed with a medical history, pelvic examination, and tests that may include:
- Imaging tests
- Ultrasound
- Computed tomography (CT) scans
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans
- Colonoscopy
- Chest X-ray to determine if the cancer has spread (metastasized) to the lungs
- Positron emission tomography (PET) scan
- Barium enema X-ray (not often used)
- Laparoscopy of the pelvis or abdomen
- Biopsy
- Blood tests
- CA-125 test
- Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)
- Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG)
- Inhibin
- Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)
- Estrogen and testosterone
Genetic counseling and genetic testing for certain inherited gene changes may be recommended for epithelial ovarian cancers.
What Is the Treatment for Ovarian Cancer?
Ovarian cancer treatment may include one or more of the following:
- Surgery to remove the cancer (most common method of both diagnosis and therapy)
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation
- Complementary therapies to treat symptoms such as fatigue, pain, and nausea
- Clinical trials
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Reviewed on 5/27/2022
References
Image Source: iStock Images
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/ovarian-cancer/about.html
https://www.cancercenter.com/cancer-types/ovarian-cancer/stages
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26244529/
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/ovarian-cancer/about.html
https://www.cancercenter.com/cancer-types/ovarian-cancer/stages
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26244529/