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22 - Ovary

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 December 2009

Louise Hanna
Affiliation:
Consultant, Clinical Oncologist, Velindre Cancer Centre, Velindre Hospital, Whitchurch, Cardiff, UK
Malcolm Adams
Affiliation:
Consultant, Clinical Oncologist, Velindre Cancer Centre, Velindre Hospital, Whitchurch, Cardiff, UK
Louise Hanna
Affiliation:
Velindre Hospital, Cardiff
Tom Crosby
Affiliation:
Velindre Hospital, Cardiff
Fergus Macbeth
Affiliation:
Velindre Hospital, Cardiff
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Summary

Introduction

Ovarian cancer is the most common cause of death from gynaecological malignancy in the Western world. It has been named a ‘silent killer’ because of its lack of symptoms during early stages. Around 90% of ovarian cancers arise from the epithelium. Two-thirds of patients present late, with stage III or IV disease, with increasing abdominal symptoms including ascites. Typically, treatment depends on a combination of surgery and chemotherapy. Improvements in surgical techniques and chemotherapy agents have resulted in a modest increase in the 5-year survival over the past 30 years although, even now, two-thirds of women die from their disease.

Types of tumour affecting the ovary

The WHO classification of tumours of the ovary defines broad categories of ovarian tumours (WHO classification, 2003):

  • Surface epithelial-stromal tumours.

  • Sex cord-stromal tumours.

  • Germ cell tumours.

  • Tumours of the rete ovarii.

  • Miscellaneous tumours.

  • Lymphomas and haematopoietic tumours.

  • Secondary tumours.

Surface epithelial-stromal tumours are classified as benign, borderline or malignant. The subtypes are serous; mucinous; endometrioid, including malignant mixed müllerian tumour (carcinosarcoma); clear cell; transitional cell; squamous cell; mixed; and undifferentiated or unclassified.

Sex cord-stromal tumours are classified as granulosa-stromal cell tumours (including granulosa cell tumours and theca-fibroma tumours), sertoli-stromal cell tumours, sex-cord stromal tumours of mixed or unclassified cell types, and steroid cell tumours.

Germ cell tumours are classified as primitive germ cell tumours (including dysgerminoma, yolk sac tumour, and embryonal carcinoma), biphasic or triphasic teratomas (including immature teratoma and mature teratoma), and monodermal teratoma (composed of a single type of tissue and includes struma ovarii, which is composed of thyroid cells).

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2008

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References

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  • Ovary
    • By Louise Hanna, Consultant, Clinical Oncologist, Velindre Cancer Centre, Velindre Hospital, Whitchurch, Cardiff, UK, Malcolm Adams, Consultant, Clinical Oncologist, Velindre Cancer Centre, Velindre Hospital, Whitchurch, Cardiff, UK
  • Edited by Louise Hanna, Tom Crosby, Fergus Macbeth
  • Book: Practical Clinical Oncology
  • Online publication: 23 December 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511545375.023
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  • Ovary
    • By Louise Hanna, Consultant, Clinical Oncologist, Velindre Cancer Centre, Velindre Hospital, Whitchurch, Cardiff, UK, Malcolm Adams, Consultant, Clinical Oncologist, Velindre Cancer Centre, Velindre Hospital, Whitchurch, Cardiff, UK
  • Edited by Louise Hanna, Tom Crosby, Fergus Macbeth
  • Book: Practical Clinical Oncology
  • Online publication: 23 December 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511545375.023
Available formats
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To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Ovary
    • By Louise Hanna, Consultant, Clinical Oncologist, Velindre Cancer Centre, Velindre Hospital, Whitchurch, Cardiff, UK, Malcolm Adams, Consultant, Clinical Oncologist, Velindre Cancer Centre, Velindre Hospital, Whitchurch, Cardiff, UK
  • Edited by Louise Hanna, Tom Crosby, Fergus Macbeth
  • Book: Practical Clinical Oncology
  • Online publication: 23 December 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511545375.023
Available formats
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