The ovaries are part of the female reproductive system. There are two ovaries (a left one and a right one) and when women get old enough to have children one of the ovaries releases an egg each month. These eggs then pass down the fallopian tube to the womb where they can be fertilised with sperm. If the eggs are not fertilised they exit the body during the woman’s monthly period. Aside from releasing eggs, the ovaries are also responsible for producing oestrogen and progesterone.

Ovarian cancer develops when something goes wrong with the cell division process in the ovaries causing them to grow in a rapid and uncontrollable way. It is the fourth most common type of cancer in females with around 7,000 women contracting it in the UK each year. This condition is most prevalent in menopausal women and is rarely diagnosed in women under 40. There are three main types of ovarian cancer and I will be discussing each of them in greater detail below.

1) EPITHELIAL OVARIAN CANCER:- This type of cancer occurs when the cells that line the ovaries (the epithelium) start to grow in a rapid, out of control way. Between 70% and 80% of ovary cancers are this type and it is almost always diagnosed in women who have been through the menopause.

2) GERM CELL OVARIAN CANCER:- This type of cancer develops when the germ cells (the cells responsible for making eggs) start to grow rapidly and uncontrollably. Approximately 15% of ovary cancers are this type and unlike the other forms of this disease, germ cell ovarian cancer normally affects younger women. (more…)

Ovarian cancer forms on the inside of the small, almond-sized ovaries located on the sides of the uterus. The cancer may appear on one or both ovaries. The ovaries produce and release the eggs into the fallopian tubes. They also produce the two female hormones which are known as estrogen and progesterone.

These hormones are produced in high amounts before and during ovulation, and if these hormone levels become too high, they may be what causes the tumors to form in the ovaries.

There are two different types of tumors which are formed, one type is cancerous, and the other type is non-cancerous.

The cancerous tumors will spread to the outside of the ovaries, and into the pelvic organs, as well as other parts of the body through the bloodstream or the lymph nodes.

The non-cancerous tumors are usually not considered to be a health threat, but nonetheless, they can also contribute to the increased production of estrogen, which may cause other cells to become cancerous.

Unhealthy fat cells also help to produce excess levels of estrogen.

So if we want to prevent ovarian cancer, we need to reduce the levels of estrogen which the body produces. This is not difficult when we understand some of the factors which are associated with the production of estrogen.

Studies have shown that obesity increases the risk of ovarian cancer by about 80 percent. This is because of all the unhealthy fat cells which continuously help to produce high levels of estrogen. (more…)