Ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is a malignant ovarian neoplasm (an abnormal growth located on the ovaries).

Classification

Ovarian cancer is classified according to the histology of the tumor. Lesions differ significantly in clinical features, management, and prognosis:

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• Epithelial ovarian tumors are the most common and prototypic ovarian cancers. They are thought to originate from the ovarian surface lining, including the serous cystadenocarcinoma, and the mucinous cystadenocarcinoma.
• Stromal ovarian cancer includes lesions that are hormonally active such as the estrogen-producing granulosa cell tumor and the virilizing arrhenoblastoma.
• Germ cell cancer originates from dysplastic germ material and tends to occur in young women and girls. Lesions include the dysgerminoma, a form of the choriocarcinoma, and the malignant form of the teratoma.
• Other lesions include metastasis to the ovary, for instance from breast cancer. Krukenberg cancer is ovarian cancer originating from gastrointestinal cancer.