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Updated: Jun 4, 2026
13:04
In Vivo and Ex Vivo Approaches to Study Ovarian Cancer Metastatic Colonization of Milky Spot Structures in Peritoneal Adipose
Published on: October 14, 2015
Familial ovarian cancer
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Methods in Molecular Medicine
|February 23, 2011
Summary
Ovarian cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in women, with over 5000 new cases annually in the UK. Most ovarian tumors are epithelial, but rare non-epithelial types exist.
Area of Science:
- Gynecologic Oncology
- Cancer Epidemiology
Background:
- Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among women globally.
- It is the most frequent cause of death from gynecological neoplasia in the Western world.
- The United Kingdom (U.K.) diagnoses over 5000 new ovarian cancer cases yearly, resulting in 4275 deaths.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an overview of ovarian cancer, focusing on epithelial origins.
- To differentiate between epithelial and non-epithelial ovarian tumors.
- To briefly mention rare hereditary non-epithelial ovarian tumors.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and epidemiological data analysis.
- Classification of ovarian tumors based on cell origin (epithelial, germ-cell, sex cord/stromal).
- Focus on the epidemiological and etiological aspects of common ovarian cancers.
Main Results:
- Eighty to ninety percent of ovarian tumors are epithelial in origin.
- Non-epithelial ovarian tumors, while rare, can have hereditary components (e.g., granulosa-cell tumors, small-cell carcinoma of the ovary).
- Non-epithelial tumors contribute minimally to familial ovarian cancer.
Conclusions:
- The majority of ovarian cancers are epithelial, necessitating a focus on this subtype.
- Understanding tumor origin is crucial for accurate diagnosis and risk assessment.
- Rare hereditary non-epithelial ovarian cancers warrant specific consideration in genetic counseling.
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