Introduction
Ovarian cancer is one of the most treatable solid tumors, as the majority will respond temporarily to surgery and cytotoxic agents. The disease, however, frequently persists and recurs, having the highest fatality-to-case…

The cause of ovarian cancer is unknown. Some have speculated that an etiologic agent or a potentiator of oncogenesis could enter the peritoneal cavity through the lower genital canal and spread through…

As parity is inversely related to the risk of ovarian cancer, having at least one child is protective of the disease with a risk reduction of 0.3to 0.4. Remarkably, use of oral contraceptives for…

Cisplatin-based combination chemo-therapy regimens have clearly produced higher response rates, complete remission rates, and an improvement in the median survival of patients with advanced ovarian cancer. The impact on long…

Unfortunately, recurrent or persistent ovarian cancer following adjuvant chemotherapy is relatively common and incurable. Usually, second-, third- or fourth-line chemotherapy is used in attempts to prolong life and palliate symptoms. Little…

The use of intravenous or subcutaneous immunostimulants in addition to chemotherapy has not improved the response rate or survival of ovarian cancer patients. The GOG used melphalan with or without subcutaneous administration of…

The optimal management of patients who do achieve a clinical complete remission after induction chemotherapy remains to be determined. Even patients who achieve a surgically confirmed complete remission have a…

The optimal frequency of follow-up examinations is unknown, but in those patients who have completed chemotherapy and who are in clinical remission it is reasonable to perform a pelvic examination and…

Many patients who have undergone optimal cytoreductive surgery and subsequent therapy for epithelial ovarian cancer will have no evidence of disease at the completion of treatment.…

At present, the treatment of choice for patients with advanced invasive epithelial ovarian cancer is cytoreductive surgery followed by six cycles of chemotherapy with a combination of carboplatin (AUC 5-6)…

As ovarian cancer spreads over the surface of the peritoneum and often recurs at this site, investigators have evaluated intraperitoneal (IP) administration of chemotherapy that can achieve high local concentrations…

Systemic chemotherapy is the standard treatment for metastatic epithelial ovarian cancer. Early studies utilized single alkylating agents such as melphalan or combinations of alkylating agents and antimetabolites. After the…

The treatment of early stage epithelial ovarian cancer must be individualized. Thorough surgical exploration and staging are indicated for all patients with early stage disease. Adjuvant treatment with chemotherapy or radiotherapy…

There is no well-established strategy for early detection of ovarian cancer. Discovery of a pelvic mass on routine physical examination can lead to surgery prior to the dissemination of a malignancy, but conventional diagnosis…

The diagnosis of ovarian cancer is usually made at laparotomy, but occasionally at laparoscopy. If a pelvic mass is suspicious and the most likely diagnosis is ovarian cancer, surgery should not be unnecessarily delayed.…

Traditionally, ovarian cancer has been considered a “silent killer” that does not produce symptoms until far advanced. Some patients with ovarian cancers confined to the ovary are asymptomatic, but the majority will have…

Ovarian epithelial tumors spread primarily by direct exfoliation of cells throughout the peritoneal cavity, but they also spread via the lymphatic and hematogenous routes. Germ cell tumors have a greater predilection…

Primary ovarian cancers are classified according to the structures of the ovary from which they are derived. Most develop from the epithelial cells that cover the ovarian surface or that line inclusion…

The prognosis of ovarian cancer can be correlated with numerous clinical and biologic factors. Tumor stage, grade, and size of metastatic disease after resection correlate best with outcome. As discussed below,…

In the human embryo, the ovary appears as a genital ridge about 1 month after fertilization. The primitive mesoderm gives rise to the mesothelial covering of the ovary and of the peritoneum, the so-called…

Most epithelial ovarian cancer is sporadic, with familial or hereditary patterns accounting for 5% 10% of all malignancies. The risk of ovarian cancer is higher than that of the general population…