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Disease Introduction
Publish Date: 01/21/2000
Review Date: 09/12/2001
Introduction
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Being diagnosed with ovarian cancer can lead you to feel many
emotions, including shock. We want to help you by explaining what
ovarian cancer is, the treatment options available, and their possible
side effects – and by offering you some suggestions on how to
manage the challenges you’ll face.
Cross-section of the Female Reproductive System (Courtesy of Jones and
Bartlett Publishers)
If you learn you have ovarian cancer, you join a group of more than
23,400 women who have been given the same news in the past 12
months.
What is ovarian cancer? Our bodies are made up of tiny building
blocks called cells. Normal cells grow and multiply when the body
needs them and die out when they are not needed. Cancer is made
up of abnormal cells that multiply constantly, whether they are
needed or not. In most cancers, the abnormal cells grow so they
form a lump called a tumor. Ovarian cancer is when cancer forms in
a woman’s ovaries. The ovaries are where eggs are stored and the
female hormones estrogen and progesterone are made.
Any woman can develop ovarian cancer. But a woman is particularly
at risk if her mother, sister, or daughter has had the disease
(especially if they were diagnosed before menopause), if she has
never been pregnant, or if she has had breast cancer, colon cancer
or ovarian cancer before.
The Female Reproductive System (Courtesy of Jones and Bartlett
Publishers)
Ovarian cancer may grow for a long time before you experience any
symptoms. When symptoms do occur they can include gas,
indigestion, nausea, swelling of the abdomen, and weight loss. If the
tumor is large, it may press on nearby organs, such as the bowel or
bladder. This can cause diarrhea, constipation, or frequent urination
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