ovarian cancer

Examples of ovarian cancer in the following topics:

• Ovarian Cancer

  • Ovarian cancer arises from the epithelial layer of the ovary and in some cases, the fallopian tube.
  • Ovarian cancer is a cancerous growth arising from the ovary.
  • In most cases, the exact cause of ovarian cancer remains unknown.
  • The risk of developing ovarian cancer appears to be affected by several factors.
  • The more children a woman has, the lower her risk of ovarian cancer.

• Ovarian Cysts

  • Any ovarian follicle that is larger than about two centimeters is termed an ovarian cyst.
  • Ovarian cysts affect women of all ages.
  • About 95% of ovarian cysts are benign .
  • Cysts that persist beyond two or three menstrual cycles, or occur in post-menopausal women, may indicate more serious disease and should be investigated through ultrasonography and laparoscopy, especially in cases where family members have had ovarian cancer.
  • Additionally, a blood test may be taken before surgery to check for elevated CA-125, a tumor marker, which is often found in increased levels in ovarian cancer, although it can also be elevated by other conditions resulting in a large number of false positives.

• Cancer Proteomics

  • Some examples of protein biomarkers used in cancer detection are CA-125 for ovarian cancer and PSA for prostate cancer.
  • The National Cancer Institute has developed programs to improve the detection and treatment of cancer.
  • The Clinical Proteomic Technologies for Cancer and the Early Detection Research Network are efforts to identify protein signatures specific to different types of cancers.
  • In cancer research and medicine, biomarkers are used in three primary ways: (A) Diagnostic - To help diagnose conditions, as in the case of identifying early stage cancers.
  • Explain the ways in which cancer proteomics may lead to better treatments

• Surgical Sterilization

  • Hysterectomy (females): The uterus, and often the ovaries, is surgically removed, permanently preventing pregnancy and treating and preventing some diseases, such as uterine cancer.
  • The removal of the ovaries is not necessary for sterilization, but can treat and prevent ovarian cancer.

• Female Hormones

  • The stages of the ovarian cycle in the female are regulated by hormones secreted by the hypothalamus, pituitary, and the ovaries.
  • The first half of the ovarian cycle is the follicular phase.
  • Supplementation of estrogen in the form of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can prevent bone loss, but the therapy can have negative side effects, such as an increased risk of stroke or heart attack, blood clots, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, gall bladder disease, and, possibly, dementia.
  • Rising and falling hormone levels result in progression of the ovarian and menstrual cycles.
  • The ovarian and menstrual cycles of female reproduction are regulated by hormones produced by the hypothalamus, pituitary, and ovaries.

• Halogen Uses

  • In women, hypothyroidism can lead to infertility, miscarriages, and breast and ovarian cancer.

• Hysterectomy

  • Certain types of reproductive system cancers (uterine, cervical, ovarian, endometrium) or tumors, including uterine fibroids that do not respond to more conservative treatment options.
  • Prophylaxis against certain reproductive system cancers, especially if there is a strong family history of reproductive system cancers (especially breast cancer in conjunction with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation), or as part of recovery from such cancers.
  • The principal disadvantage is that risk of cervical cancer is not eliminated and women may continue cyclical bleeding (although substantially less than before the surgery).
  • Supracervical hysterectomy does not eliminate the possibility of having cervical cancer since the cervix itself is left intact and may be contraindicated in women with increased risk of this cancer.
  • For this reason, regular Pap smears to check for cervical dysplasia or cancer are still needed.

• Effects of Smoking

  • Figure 1 shows the correlation between smoking and lung cancer.
  • Among the diseases that can be caused by smoking are vascular stenosis, lung cancer, heart attacks, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
  • Tobacco use leads most commonly to diseases affecting the heart and lungs, with smoking being a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (including emphysema and chronic bronchitis), and cancer (particularly lung cancer, cancers of the larynx and mouth, and pancreatic cancer).
  • The primary risks of tobacco usage include many forms of cancer, particularly lung cancer, kidney cancer, cancer of the larynx and head and neck, breast cancer, bladder cancer, cancer of the esophagus, cancer of the pancreas, and stomach cancer.
  • There is some evidence suggesting a small increased risk of myeloid leukemia, squamous cell sinonasal cancer, liver cancer, colorectal cancer, cancers of the gallbladder, the adrenal gland, the small intestine, and various childhood cancers.

• Cancer Immunology

  • Cancer immunology examines the interaction between cancer cells and the immune system.
  • Cancer immunology is the study of interactions between the immune system and cancer cells (also called tumors or malignancies).
  • The study of these viruses and their role in the development of various cancers is still continuing; however, a vaccine has been developed that can prevent infection of certain HPV strains, and thus prevent those HPV strains from causing cervical cancer, and possibly other cancers as well.
  • Cancer immunotherapy attempts to stimulate the immune system to reject and destroy tumors.
  • Lung cancer has been demonstrated to potentially respond to immunotherapy.

• Ovaries

  • The ovary (for a given side) is located in the lateral wall of the pelvis in a region called the ovarian fossa.
  • The ovaries are not attached to the outer layer of the uterus via the ovarian ligaments.
  • In humans the paired ovaries lie within the pelvic cavity, on either side of the uterus, to which they are attached via a fibrous cord called the ovarian ligament.
  • The uterine extremity points downward and is attached to the uterus via the ovarian ligament.
  • The developing egg cell (or oocyte) grows within the environment provided by ovarian follicles.