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By Mayo Clinic staffReceiving a diagnosis of ovarian cancer is difficult and life changing. Fortunately, medical advances have made treatments more effective. Women diagnosed in the earliest stages have a five-year survival rate of nearly 93 percent, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).
Until recently, ovarian cancer was known as a "silent killer" because it usually wasn't found until it had spread to other areas of your body. But new evidence shows that most women may have symptoms even in the early stages, and awareness of symptoms may hopefully lead to earlier detection.
Early detection is important; still, only about 20 percent of ovarian cancers are found before tumor growth has spread beyond the ovaries. Your chance of surviving ovarian cancer is better if the cancer is found early.
- Detailed guide: Ovarian cancer. American Cancer Society. http://documents.cancer.org/114.00/114.00.pdf. Accessed Aug. 20, 2008.
- Goff B. Early detection of ovarian cancer: Role of symptom recognition. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 19, 2008.
- Chan LM, et al. Epithelial ovarian cancer: Clinical manifestations, diagnostic evaluation, staging, and histopathology. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 19, 2008.
- Chan LM, et al. Epithelial ovarian cancer: Pathogenesis, epidemiology, and risk factors. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 19, 2008.
- Zhou B, et al. Hormone replacement therapy and ovarian cancer risk: A meta-analysis. Gynecologic Oncology. 2008;108(3): 641-651
- Carlson KJ, et al. Patient information: Ovarian cancer screening. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 19, 2008.
- Ovarian cancer: Treatment guidelines for patients. National Comprehensive Cancer Network and the American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/downloads/CRI/NCCN_Ovarian_Cancer_2007.pdf. Accessed Aug. 19, 2008.
- Herzog TJ, et al. Patient information: Ovarian cancer treatment. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 19, 2008.
- Benefits of good nutrition. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/MBC/content/MBC_6_2X_Benefits_of_nutrition_during_treatment.asp?sitearea=MBC. Accessed Aug. 24, 2008.
- Muto MG, et al. Risk reducing salpingo-oophorectomy in women at high risk of epithelial ovarian cancer. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 19, 2008.
- Timothy Moynihan (expert review). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Aug. 28, 2008.
