Other than Breast Cancer, Ovarian Cancer can be a great risk for all women. Ovarian cancer is the most common cause of cancer death from gynecologic tumors in the United Stated that most women are unaware of. Since there is no simple procedure or screening test that can detect the early stage of Ovarian Cancer (yet), knowing and understanding what is Ovarian Cancer is important to all age women. Ovarian cancer starts in the ovaries in females. The ovaries have 3 main kinds of cells and each of them can develop into a different type of tumor.

• Epithelial tumors start from the cells that cover the outer surface of the ovary. Most ovarian tumors are epithelial cell tumors.
• Germ cell tumors start from the cells that produce the eggs (ova).
• Stromal tumors start from structural tissue cells that hold the ovary together and produce the female hormones estrogen and progesterone.

Anything around us can be a factor to develop cancers. Different cancers have different factors that we should be aware. A common factor of any cancers would be when our immune system is at its weakest.

1. Age: the older we get, the lower our immune system gets as well. Ovarian Cancer is more common with women at age 40 and up.
2. Obesity: people who are overweighed tending to develop many diseases. They also have a higher risk of developing Ovarian Cancer.
3. Reproductive History: pregnant and breastfeeding before the age of 26 can lower the risk of Ovarian Cancer while having a baby after age 35 or who never carried a pregnancy will have a greater risk of Ovarian Cancer.
4. Birth Control: there are many side effects in any medicine as well as birth control. A good side effect for using oral contraceptives and/or depot medroxyprogesterone acetate, an injectable hormonal contraceptive is a lower risk of Ovarian Cancer.
5. Family History: many diseases can be inherited from your grandmother to your mother and yourself to your daughter. The risk gets higher if the numbers of relatives who have Ovarian Cancer are more.
6. Diet: eat healthy, exercise more. Hearing that everyday but not everyone can do it. Following a low-fat diet for many years can lower the risk of developing cancer.

It is important to be aware of your body and if there is any change, take action and see a doctor. Early stage of Ovarian Cancer can be hard to notice, the symptoms can be very minimal and nonspecific. You could feel swelling in your abdomen. As stated before, there is no simple way to detect early Ovarian Cancer; most cases are diagnosed in an advanced stage. The most common symptoms for Ovarian Cancer are:

• Bloating, abdominal distention or discomfort
• Pressure effects on the bladder and rectum
• Constipation
• Vaginal bleeding
• Indigestion and acid reflux
• Shortness of breath
• Tiredness
• Weight loss
• Early satiety

Other symptoms of Ovarian Cancer can include:

• Fatigue
• Upset stomach
• Back pain
• Menstrual changes
• Pain during sex

These symptoms can cause by other non-cancerous diseases and by other conditions. Many women face these symptoms but do not have Ovarian Cancer.

Experts suggest a combination of: Pelvic/rectal exam, CA 125 blood test and Transvaginal ultrasound. Prompt medical evaluation may lead to detection at the earliest possible stage of the disease. Early stage diagnosis is associated with an improved prognosis.

Once you know that you are diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer, you will want to seek gynecologist attention. The main treatments for Ovarian Cancer are

• Surgery
• Radiation therapy
• Targeted therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Hormone therapy

See a gynecologist, if you have these symptoms almost daily for more than a few weeks and are unusual for you. Remember, Ovarian Cancer is the deadliest if the gynecological cancers.