The ovaries are two in number and are part of the female reproductive system, located in the pelvis. Each ovary has the size of an almond. The ovaries produce female hormones: progesterone and also estrogen. It has a longer function in releasing the eggs. An egg released from the ovary travels through the fallopian tubes to the uterus. Once women reach the menopause the ovaries don’t release eggs anymore and the hormones produced are in quantities much smaller.

What is ovarian cancer?
Cancer starts and develops in the cells that form the tissues, which in return form the organs of the body. Normally cells grow and divide to form new cells for the body’s necessity. After a while these cells grow old and die, while other cells take their place.
Sometimes this process works poorly. New cells form even though the body does not need them and old cells do not die when they should. These extra cells can form a mass or tumor called knob.

Tumors can be of two types - benign or malignant:
Benign tumors are not cancer:

* Benign tumors are  in very rare cases life-threatening
* Generally benign tumors can be removed and they don’t grow back
* Benign tumors do not invade tissues around them
* Cells in benign tumors do not spread to other body part.

Malignant tumors are cancerous:

* Malignant tumors are generally more serious than benign tumors - they may threaten life
* Malignant tumors can often be removed, but sometimes they grow back
* Malignant tumors can invade and cause harm nearby tissues and organs
* Cells from malignant tumors can spread to other parts of body, cancer cells can spread through the separation of original tumor (primary tumor), entering the lymphatic or blood circulation, cancer cells invade other organs and form new tumors that can damage these organs; cancer spread is called metastasis.

Benign and malignant ovarian cysts: an ovarian cyst can be found on the surface or inside the ovary. A cyst usually contains a liquid, but it may also contain solid tissue. Most ovarian cysts are benign (not cancer).



Most ovarian cysts disappear on their own time. Sometimes when the doctor detects that the ovarian cysts do not disappear, to exclude cancer the doctor recommends further tests.

Ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer can invade, emerge and spread to other organs:

* Invades: ovarina a malignant tumor, may develop and invade the organs near the ovaries like, the uterus and fallopian tubes;


*Emerges: ovarian cancer, may spread the cells in the abdomen where they can lead to the formation of new tumors in organs and tissues (the doctor will designate these new tumors, or implanted seeds);

*Spreads: cancer cells can spread through the lymphatic system are lymph nodes in the pelvis, abdomen and chest cavity, cancer cells can also spread through the bloodstream to organs such as liver and lungs.



When cancer spreads from the original site to other parts of the body, the new tumors have the same kind of abnormal cells and the same name. For example, if ovarian cancer spreads to liver, the cancer cells from the liver are actually the ovarian cancer ones. The disease is called metastasis ovarian cancer, not liver cancer. It is therefore treated as ovarian cancer, and not liver cancer. Doctors call the new tumor "distant" or metastasis.

A pathologist  doctor follows with a microscope the cancer cells from the tissue or fluid. If the pathologist finds cancer cells the doctor will describe the degree of malignancy of cells. Grades 1, 2, 3 describe how cancer cells look and grow. Grade 1 cells have less chance to grow and spread as opposed to grade 3.