Patient Education Center: Defining Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is a malignant neoplasm that arises from the cells of the ovary, most commonly from the epithelial cells lining the ovary’s surface. It is characterized by uncontrolled cell growth, invasion of surrounding tissues, and the potential to metastasize to other parts of the body. Ovarian cancer is heterogeneous, encompassing several histological subtypes, including epithelial ovarian carcinoma (the most common), germ cell tumors, and sex cord-stromal tumors, each with distinct clinical and pathological features. Because early-stage disease is often asymptomatic or presents with vague, nonspecific symptoms, ovarian cancer is frequently diagnosed at an advanced stage, making it one of the most lethal gynecologic malignancies. 

The following are basic but critical Rules of the Road in confronting the possibility of having ovarian cancer:

If you have a family history of any gynecologic cancer, including ovarian cancer, you are predisposed to having the illness yourself. Make sure you keep the following on the top of your radar:

You know yourself and your body better than anyone. If you feel that something is not right, you probably ARE right. If you have strange but persistent symptoms (see below), track and report them to your primary healthcare team. 

Early ovarian cancer rarely has symptoms. As the disease progresses, some symptoms may appear.   

 These symptoms include:  

• Bloating or pressure in the belly, swelling in your belly/abdomen area.
• Pain in the abdomen, back, kidney area or pelvis area for no apparent reason, like exercise, or overdoing tasks. 
• Appetite and stomach issues, including trouble eating, loss of appetite, feeling full more quickly than you should, an upset stomach or heartburn.
• Bladder and Bowel Issues, including urinating more frequently, feeling like you need to urinate urgently or more frequently, constipation.
• Fatigue. Getting tired more easily and being tired more frequently.
• Pain during sex.
• Unexplained weight changes — losing weight without trying, or bloating that seems like weight gain. 
• Unusual vaginal discharge or bleeding, especially after menopause.   

Learn everything you can by visiting the following websites: 

• The World Ovarian Cancer Coalition
• The American Cancer Society
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• The Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance 

IF YOU ARE DIAGNOSED AS POSSIBLY HAVING OVARIAN CANCER - It’s not about money – it’s about time and your life. Take the time to contact every gynecological oncologist in the book, get references from friends and neighbors, contact a local hospice program case manager and see if you can get a reference of known practitioners, vet the names you do have through them (and get a sense of their reaction to the names you mention). And of course, contact your insurance company – if you have one. It’s about more than being “in network” – it’s about making It Work to save your life. 

 State Medical Boards – or even Google – can provide you with some critically important background information about your team’s members, including if they have had their license suspend in the past and why, the number and type of malpractice lawsuits they have had brought against them, and simple patient feed-back. If you find troubling issues – find another team or ask the team members to explain the nature and outcome of the complaint. Rely on your instincts to judge the answers you get. 

If you know more about ovarian cancer than your medical team, you need a different medical team. This isn’t about being nice, polite, or loyal – this is about saving your life.

After you have selected a team, ask your medical team and lead oncologist to be deadly frank about your condition, treatments and probability of outcome. Ask them how many cases of ovarian cancer they are currently treating or have treated in the last 12 months; ask them how many successful cases they have had over the last few years and what they have found to be the most effective means of hitting the cancer head-on.