What is ovarian cancer?
Ovarian cancer is when abnormal ovarian cells start to grow and divide uncontrollably. It can start in the fallopian tubes, ovaries, or peritoneum, which is the lining covering the organs in the stomach.
The ovaries are two small organs that produce eggs and hormones. There’s one ovary on each side of the lower abdomen, roughly the size of an almond. They’re attached to the womb by the fallopian tubes.
Around 1 in 50 women in the UK develop ovarian cancer at some point in their life. It becomes more common with age, with the risk increasing steeply from age 45. Early diagnosis can mean more treatment options and better outcomes for many.
Early signs and symptoms
The signs of ovarian cancer are not always obvious. They can be similar to symptoms related to your menstrual cycle and digestion, meaning the cancer is often diagnosed at later stages.
Ovarian cancer symptoms include frequently (more than three times a week) having:
- A swollen tummy
- Bloating
- Loss of appetite or feeling very full quickly
- The need to urinate more frequently
These symptoms are caused by an ovarian cancer lump that takes up space and presses on the surrounding organs, including the bladder and stomach.
Other symptoms can include:
- Feeling tired all the time
- Persistent pain or discomfort in the pelvis
- Abdominal pains
- Unexplained weight loss
- Constipation or diarrhoea
When to see a doctor
Always see a doctor about possible symptoms of ovarian cancer, even if you’re unsure. Ovarian cancer can be hard to spot because the signs are vague.
You can speak to your GP, who may refer you to an expert gynaecologist, if appropriate. It can help to make a note of how often you’re having symptoms and how long it’s been going on.
What causes ovarian cancer?
It’s not always possible to pinpoint why ovarian cancer happens. For around one in six people, it’s linked to a faulty gene. This can cause hereditary ovarian cancer.
Gene mutations linked to ovarian cancer include:
- Are older – your risk increases with age, with four in five cases occurring in women over the age of 50
- BRCA1
- BRCA2
- Lynch syndrome
There are also risk factors for ovarian cancer, which increase your chances of developing it. These include older age, previous breast or bowel cancers, and smoking.
Ovarian cancer risk factors
Certain factors can increase your risk of ovarian cancer. But you can still be affected even without risk factors, so you should never ignore symptoms.
Your risk of ovarian cancer can increase if:
- You’re older than 45
- You have a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, or Lynch syndrome
- You’ve had breast or bowel cancer before
- You have endometriosis or diabetes
- You’re above your healthy weight range (BMI >24.9)
- You smoke
- You’ve never taken hormonal contraception
Diagnosis and tests
How is ovarian cancer diagnosed?
Your consultant uses several tests to investigate possible ovarian cancer and make a diagnosis.
The first steps are usually to have blood tests and an ultrasound scan. If your results show signs of cancer, they’ll refer you for more specialist tests. These are often to distinguish between cancer and a benign ovarian or dermoid cyst.
These tests and scans include:
- CT scanning
- Laparoscopy – looking at the ovaries with a thin flexible camera through a small cut in the stomach
- Biopsy – taking a tumour sample to look at under a microscope
If you’re diagnosed with ovarian cancer, you’ll have further tests and scans to check the stage of your cancer. These may include MRI scans, PET scans, X-ray, and genetic testing.
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Stages of ovarian cancer
Cancer stages describe the size and how far it has spread. This helps your doctor recommend the most appropriate treatment and understand your outlook.
There are four main stages of ovarian cancer:
Stage 1 – also called early ovarian cancer, where it’s only inside the ovaries
Stage 2 – the cancer has spread beyond the ovaries into the pelvis, such as the fallopian tubes, womb, bladder or bowel
Stage 3 – the cancer has spread outside the pelvis, such as the tissue lining the abdominal organs, called the peritoneum, or lymph nodes further away
Stage 4 – also called metastatic or advanced, where the cancer has spread elsewhere in the body, such as the liver or lungs
Ovarian cancer treatment overview
There are treatment options for all stages of ovarian cancer. Some early-stage ovarian cancers can be treated with surgery, and many people have complete remission for some time, where there are no signs of cancer.
At GenesisCare, it’s our commitment to offer world-class care to every patient with cancer.
Skip ahead to discover our treatment approach.
How is ovarian cancer treated?
Treatment for ovarian cancer includes:
- Surgery – removing cancerous tissue in the ovaries
- Chemotherapy – anti-cancer (cytotoxic) drugs that destroy the cancerous cells
- Radiotherapy – high-energy radiation beams which are targeted at the cancer cells
- Targeted therapy – a specialised group of drugs that attack or block certain processes in the cancer cells
Ovarian cancer treatment at GenesisCare
We’re the UK’s leading independent provider of private cancer care. By choosing us, you can be reassured that your treatment is managed by a team of specialists working together with you to design the best plan for your ovarian cancer diagnosis.
Our approach to world-class care for ovarian cancer includes:
- A personalised plan built around you
- Treatment starting within days if needed
- 14 outpatient cancer centres across the UK
- State-of-the-art facilities specialising in advanced radiotherapy
- Compassionate chemotherapy nurses available 24/7 by telephone
- Integrative cancer care including wellbeing therapies and exercise medicine
- Recognised by all leading private medical insurers and self-pay available
We’re proud that so many patients rate our care as excellent as we help them through their cancer journey. Hear the unique experiences of people who have had their cancer diagnosis or treatment at GenesisCare in our patient stories section.
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Surgery at GenesisCare
Our consultants work closely with expert surgeons from both local and nationally renowned hospital within multidisciplinary teams of specialists to design the best treatment plan for you.
If your consultant recommends ovarian cancer surgery, this can be arranged conveniently at one of our partner hospitals. You can then continue your other treatments at GenesisCare.
Chemotherapy and anti-cancer therapies at GenesisCare
There are different types of drug treatments, also called systemic anti-cancer therapies, which include chemotherapy and newer treatments. Our expert teams continually review and assess new treatments to make these available to GenesisCare patients as early as possible.
To have your treatment, you may attend one of our private suites staffed by our specialist nurses. The nursing team are available 24/7 on a dedicated on-call telephone service to answer any queries during your treatment, including about symptoms and side effects, and can arrange appropriate medical care.
Our centres have all received the Macmillan Quality Environment Mark to reflect the quality of care we provide for people living with cancer.
Radiotherapy at GenesisCare
We’re the leading private provider of radiotherapy in the UK and offer world-class care in our state-of-the-art facilities. Your treatment is overseen by our expert multidisciplinary teams of oncologists, radiotherapists and medical physicists, working together to ensure that you receive the best possible care.
At GenesisCare, we offer volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) wherever possible because it is widely recognised to be the highest standard of care currently available for patients needing this type of radiotherapy.
Together with surface-guided radiotherapy (SGRT), it precisely targets areas of cancer, adjusting the beam and intensity of the radiation dose to allow for movements in the body and avoid healthy tissues, minimising side effects.
Palliative care
If your cancer is widespread to other parts of the body, it’s called advanced or metastatic ovarian cancer. At GenesisCare, you can receive palliative treatment for advanced ovarian cancer, to reduce the size and progress of your cancer and ease any symptoms, including palliative VMAT radiotherapy to improve pain and increase mobility.
Personalised medicine
For some advanced cancers, we use specialist tests, such as liquid biopsy or genomic testing. By understanding the genetic make-up of cancer cells we can identify which drugs are available to work against the cancer, allowing us to start effective treatment without delay.
We’re proud to have clinical trial facilities at GenesisCare, which allow our patients to access trials evaluating the newest treatments for ovarian cancer. Your oncologist will discuss the possibility of enrolling you on an ongoing trial.
Integrative cancer care at GenesisCare
Every patient is supported through their journey with consultant-led integrative cancer care, which combines medical treatment with life-changing approaches including exercise medicine, wellbeing therapies and psychological support.
You’ll have optional access to a wellbeing expert to guide you through holistic therapies of your choice, such as counselling, acupuncture, massage and reflexology, through our unique partnership with the Penny Brohn UK charity.
Exercise medicine includes a 12-week personalised programme provided by a specialist physiotherapist, with techniques shown to improve outcomes for cancer patients and reduce the impact of cancer by enhancing quality of life, reducing fatigue and improving strength.
FAQs about ovarian cancer
Never try to self-diagnose ovarian cancer. Any symptoms should be assessed by your doctor.
Being aware of ovarian cancer symptoms can help to spot the signs earlier. These include:
- Bloating, swollen stomach, feeling full or loss of appetite
- Needing to urinate often and urgently
- Pain or discomfort in the abdomen
A pap smear, also called a cervical smear, is a screening test for cervical cancer. It involves scraping the inside of the vagina to collect cells for checking under a microscope.
A cervical smear test cannot detect ovarian cancer. Always see your doctor if you have possible ovarian cancer symptoms, even if you’ve had a recent clear result from your cervical screening.
Ovarian cancer does not always cause pain. But people who do have pain as a symptom describe various types, including:
- A dull ache in the lower back, pelvis or stomach
- Pressure or fullness
- Cramps similar to menstrual pains
- The pain might be on both sides of the body or just one side.
Ovarian cancer is the 6th most common cancer among women in the UK. Around 7,500 women are diagnosed in the UK each year, which is expected to increase.
Ovarian cancer prognosis (your outlook) depends on several factors, including the stage of your cancer at diagnosis.
On average, ovarian cancer survival rates are:
- Around 3 in 10 women living at least 10 years or more
- Almost 5 in 10 women living at least five years or more
- 7 in 10 women living at least one year or more
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