Cancer develops when cells in your body begin to grow abnormally. This can happen in any area of the body. When this abnormal growth occurs in the ovary, you develop ovarian cancer. All cells go through their own life cycles growing, dividing and being replaced. They even undergo “programmed cell death” when they no longer function properly or have outlived their usefulness at this point, the cells die. However, cells sometimes start to grow rapidly or no longer die when they should. This abnormal growth of cells can cause problems, typically leading to the formation of a tumor. A tumor can either be cancerous (malignant) or not cancerous (benign).

Benign and malignant tumors act differently in the body. A benign tumor doesn’t spread throughout the body. It stays in one place and slowly grows over time. Your doctor may recommend watching it over time or removing a tumor surgically. Typically, benign tumors are not an immediate danger to your health. Malignant tumors are more aggressive. These tend to grow rapidly and can invade other parts of the body, causing more problems as they spread. When malignant (cancerous) cells develop in ovaries, it’s called ovarian cancer.

The ovaries are a part of your reproductive system. If you think of the organs of your reproductive system as an upside down triangle, the ovaries are a pair of round organs in the upper corners. Your ovaries — each about the size of a walnut are connected to the uterus and there are two thin tubes called the fallopian tubes in between. The uterus makes up the bottom point of the triangle. During your reproductive years (time in your life when you could become pregnant), eggs are formed in the ovaries, travel down your fallopian tubes and then to the uterus.

When ovarian cancer first develops, it might not cause any noticeable symptoms. When ovarian cancer symptoms happen, they're usually attributed to other, more common conditions. Signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer may include:
1) Abdominal bloating or swelling
2) Quickly feeling full when eating
3) Weight loss
4) Discomfort in the pelvic area
5) Fatigue
6) Back pain
7) Changes in bowel habits, such as constipation
8) A frequent need to urinate

It's not clear what causes ovarian cancer, though doctors have identified things that can increase the risk of the disease. Doctors know that ovarian cancer begins when cells in or near the ovaries develop changes (mutations) in their DNA. A cell's DNA contains the instructions that tell the cell what to do. The changes tell the cells to grow and multiply quickly, creating a mass (tumor) of cancer cells. The cancer cells continue living when healthy cells would die. They can invade nearby tissues and break off from an initial tumor to spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body.

Factors that can increase your risk of ovarian cancer include:
1) Older age. The risk of ovarian cancer increases as you age. It's most often diagnosed in older adults.
2) Inherited gene changes. A small percentage of ovarian cancers are caused by genes changes you inherit from your parents. The genes that increase the risk of ovarian cancer include BRCA1 and BRCA2. These genes also increase the risk of breast cancer.
3) Several other gene changes are known to increase the risk of ovarian cancer, including gene changes associated with Lynch syndrome and the genes BRIP1, RAD51C and RAD51D.
4) Family history of ovarian cancer. If you have blood relatives who have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, you may have an increased risk of the disease.
5) Being overweight or obese. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of ovarian cancer.
6) Postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy. Taking hormone replacement therapy to control menopause signs and symptoms may increase the risk of ovarian cancer.
7) Endometriosis. Endometriosis is an often painful disorder in which tissue similar to the tissue that lines the inside of your uterus grows outside your uterus.
8) Age when menstruation started and ended. Beginning menstruation at an early age or starting menopause at a later age, or both, may increase the risk of ovarian cancer.
9) Never having been pregnant. If you've never been pregnant, you may have an increased risk of ovarian cancer.

The type of cell where the cancer begins determines the type of ovarian cancer you have and helps your doctor determine which treatments are best for you. Ovarian cancer types include:
1) Epithelial ovarian cancer. This type is the most common. It includes several subtypes, including serous carcinoma and mucinous carcinoma.
2) Stromal tumors. These rare tumors are usually diagnosed at an earlier stage than other ovarian cancers.
3) Germ cell tumors. These rare ovarian cancers tend to occur at a younger age.

There are four stages to ovarian cancer. The least severe is the lowest number. The more serious the condition, the higher the number.
1) Stage I: This stage is divided into three sub-stages (stage IA, stage IB and stage IC). In the first stage, cancer is only in one ovary or one fallopian tube. Stage IB has cancer in both ovaries or fallopian tubes. In stage IC, cancer is in both ovaries or fallopian tubes and it’s found outside of the ovary (on the outside of the organ itself or in the space around the ovary, called the peritoneal cavity).
2) Stage II: Stage II is also divided into a few additional stages. In stage IIA, the cancer is no longer only in the ovary, but has spread to the uterus. In stage IIB, the cancer has spread to other nearby organs in your abdomen (peritoneal cavity).
3) Stage III: This stage includes three sub-stages. In stage IIIA, the cancer has spread beyond the peritoneum cavity (abdomen) through lymph nodes. The second stage (stage IIIB), the tumor is about 2 centimeters in size and has spread beyond the abdominal space. In stage IIIC, the cancer has moved outside of the pelvis area and is larger in size (more than 2 centimeters). It could impact other organs, like the liver, at this point.
4) Stage IV: Stage IV cancer is the most severe. In this stage the cancer has spread throughout the body. In stage IVA, it’s found near the lungs and in stage IVB the cancer can be found in the lymph nodes of the groin.

Tests and procedures used to diagnose ovarian cancer include:
1) Pelvic exam. During a pelvic exam, your doctor inserts gloved fingers into your vagina and simultaneously presses a hand on your abdomen in order to feel (palpate) your pelvic organs. The doctor also visually examines your external genitalia, vagina and cervix.
2) Imaging tests. Tests, such as ultrasound or CT scans of your abdomen and pelvis, may help determine the size, shape and structure of your ovaries.
3) Blood tests. Blood tests might include organ function tests that can help determine your overall health.
4) Tumor markers. Your doctor might also test your blood for tumor markers that indicate ovarian cancer. For example, a cancer antigen (CA) 125 test can detect a protein that's often found on the surface of ovarian cancer cells. These tests can't tell your doctor whether you have cancer, but they may provide clues about your diagnosis and prognosis.
5) Surgery. Sometimes your doctor can't be certain of your diagnosis until you undergo surgery to remove an ovary and have it tested for signs of cancer.
6) Genetic testing. Your doctor may recommend testing a sample of your blood to look for gene changes that increase the risk of ovarian cancer. Knowing you have an inherited change in your DNA helps your doctor make decisions about your treatment plan. You may wish to share the information with your blood relatives, such as your siblings and your children, since they also may have a risk of having those same gene changes.

Treatment of ovarian cancer usually involves a combination of surgery and chemotherapy. Other treatments may be used in certain situations.
1) Surgery
Operations to remove ovarian cancer include:
a) Surgery to remove one ovary. For early-stage cancer that hasn't spread beyond one ovary, surgery may involve removing the affected ovary and its fallopian tube. This procedure may preserve your ability to have children.
b) Surgery to remove both ovaries. If cancer is present in both your ovaries, but there are no signs of additional cancer, your surgeon may remove both ovaries and both fallopian tubes. This procedure leaves your uterus intact, so you may still be able to become pregnant using your own frozen embryos or eggs or with eggs from a donor.
c) Surgery to remove both ovaries and the uterus. If your cancer is more extensive or if you don't wish to preserve your ability to have children, your surgeon will remove the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, the uterus, nearby lymph nodes and a fold of fatty abdominal tissue (omentum).
d) Surgery for advanced cancer. If your cancer is advanced, your doctor may recommend surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible. Sometimes chemotherapy is given before or after surgery in this situation.
2) Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a drug treatment that uses chemicals to kill fast-growing cells in the body, including cancer cells. Chemotherapy drugs can be injected into a vein or taken by mouth. Chemotherapy is often used after surgery to kill any cancer cells that might remain. It can also be used before surgery. In certain situations, chemotherapy drugs may be heated and infused into the abdomen during surgery (hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy). The drugs are left in place for a certain amount of time before they're drained. Then the operation is completed.
3) Targeted therapy
Targeted drug treatments focus on specific weaknesses present within cancer cells. By attacking these weaknesses, targeted drug treatments can cause cancer cells to die. If you're considering targeted therapy for ovarian cancer, your doctor may test your cancer cells to determine which targeted therapy is most likely to have an effect on your cancer.
4) Hormone therapy
Hormone therapy uses drugs to block the effects of the hormone estrogen on ovarian cancer cells. Some ovarian cancer cells use estrogen to help them grow, so blocking estrogen may help control the cancer. Hormone therapy might be a treatment option for some types of slow-growing ovarian cancers. It may also be an option if the cancer comes back after initial treatments.
5) Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy uses the immune system to fight cancer. The body's disease-fighting immune system may not attack cancer cells because they produce proteins that help them hide from the immune system cells. Immunotherapy works by interfering with that process. Immunotherapy might be an option for treating ovarian cancer in certain situations.
6) Supportive (palliative) care
Palliative care is specialized medical care that focuses on providing relief from pain and other symptoms of a serious illness. Palliative care specialists work with you, your family and your other doctors to provide an extra layer of support that complements your ongoing care. Palliative care can be used while undergoing other aggressive treatments, such as surgery and chemotherapy.
When palliative care is used along with all of the other appropriate treatments, people with cancer may feel better and live longer. Palliative care is provided by a team of doctors, nurses and other specially trained professionals. Palliative care teams aim to improve the quality of life for people with cancer and their families. This form of care is offered alongside curative or other treatments you may be receiving.

Survival for all stages of ovarian cancer. For women with ovarian cancer:
1) more than 70 out of 100 women (more than 70%) will survive their cancer for 1 year or more after they are diagnosed
2) almost 45 out of 100 women (almost 45%) will survive their cancer for 5 years or more
3) 35 out of 100 women (35%) will survive their cancer for 10 years or more

Cancer is a life threatening disease that can affect anyone regardless of race, age, and gender. Traditional cancer treatments like radiotherapy and chemotherapy often result in undesirable and uncomfortable side effects such as vomiting, numbness, nausea, and diarrhea to name a few. Herbal medicine is a complementary therapy that some people with cancer use to ease cancer symptoms. Herbal remedies for cancer such as those commonly found in traditional medicine contains antimutagenic, anti-inflammatory, and apoptosis inducing compounds that help in slowing the development of cancer and relieve treatment side effects for patients.

Herbal medicine has a wide variety of applications but all of them rely on the sustainable use of various plant parts such as flowers, leaves, bark, and roots. Each part of a plant features different medicinal properties and uses. Although herbal medicine has countless use cases, cancer care is one of the most practical applications because of how harsh traditional oncology treatments can be on patients.

Herbal remedies are a part of a growing field of medicine called integrative oncology. Research conducted on the use of herbal medicine for cancer complementary therapy has proven herbs can:
• Slows the spread of cancer
• Reduces the side effects of cancer treatment
• Boosts immune system strength and functionality
• Minimizes the symptoms of cancer
• Attacks cancer cells

Several herbs may help control the side effects of conventional cancer treatment. However, doctors do not recommend that cancer patients take herbal medicine while undergoing normal traditional cancer treatment. Herbal medicines may be likely less to cause side effects than traditional drugs. But patients may can still experience complications. Some herbs may can cause negative interactions with chemotherapy drugs. Closely monitor how you feel before and after taking herbal remedies. Patients should always consult with their doctor before trying herbs as a complementary therapy or the supplements to avoid complications.