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Ovarian
What is Ovarian Cancer?
The ovaries are two small oval shaped organs, which are part of the female reproductive system. Between puberty and menopause the ovaries regularly release an egg every 28 days, if this is not fertilised it is shed with the lining of the womb as part of the monthly cycle. The ovaries also produce female sex hormones, oestrogen and progesterone. This function gradually stops as a woman reaches the change of life – menopause.
Ovarian cancer affects 6,000 women in the UK every year. Research is ongoing to find the cause. There are some risk factors that are known which may increase a woman’s susceptibility to ovarian cancer, these include:
- Increasing age
- Women who have not had a pregnancy
- Women whose periods started young and whose menopause came late
- A strong family history of ovarian and/or breast cancer
You will be asked if you have any family members with a history of cancer and if appropriate you will be referred to the genetics Doctor for advice and counselling.
Treatments - General
Your treatment will be individually planned and discussed with you by your Consultant and Specialist Nurse. Treatment varies dependent on the extent of disease and you may also need further tests to help with the planning of treatment. These may include blood tests, chest x-ray, pelvic ultrasound or CT scan.
You will be involved in the decision making process and will be helped to make the most appropriate choices. Your partner or a close family member or friend are welcome to attend consultations and may like to make notes on your behalf.
Surgery (a hysterectomy plus removal of the ovaries) is often the first treatment for ovarian cancer. The histology results may take up to a week and following these it may be recommended that you also have a course of chemotherapy. In some cases surgery may not be appropriate and chemotherapy may be recommended.