Ovarian cancer begins in the ovaries. Women have 2 ovaries, one on each side of the uterus in the pelvis, as shown in the picture below. The ovaries produce eggs (called ova). They are also the main source of a woman's female hormones, estrogen and progesterone. The eggs travel through the fallopian tubes to the uterus. Here they may be fertilized and develop into a fetus.

The ovaries contain 3 kinds of tissue:

• epithelial cells, which cover the ovary
• germ cells, which make eggs (ova) inside of the ovary
• stromal cells, which make most of the female hormones (estrogen and progesterone)

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancers in the United States and the fifth-leading cause of death from cancer in women. It accounts for 4% of all female cancers and 31% of cancers of the female genital organs. There are an estimated 22,000 new cases annually in the United States. Women who are postmenopausal are at the greatest risk for ovarian cancer. In their lifetimes, 1 in 69 women will develop ovarian cancer.

There are 3 types of ovarian cancer—epithelial, germ cell, and stromal cell cancers. Epithelial accounts for more than 80% of the cases and forms in cells on the outer surface of the ovary. Germ cell cancers are caused by abnormal growth of the cells that form eggs. Stromal cell cancers are very rare and typically do not spread beyond the ovaries.

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