Health Topic

Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is a cancerous tumor that forms in the tissues of an ovary. The ovaries are a pair of female reproductive glands that make eggs and female hormones.

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About Ovarian Cancer

Cancer is a disease in which abnormal cells in the body grow out of control and form a tumor. Ovarian cancer is a cancerous tumor that forms in the tissues of an ovary. The ovaries are a pair of female reproductive glands that make eggs and female hormones.

There are a few different types of ovarian cancer. The most common type is epithelial cancer. It begins in the cells that cover the ovary.

There are also two related types of epithelial cancer that can spread to the ovaries:

  • Fallopian tube cancer forms in the tissue lining a fallopian tube. The fallopian tubes are a pair of long, slender tubes on each side of the uterus. The uterus is the female reproductive organ where a fetus grows during pregnancy.
  • Primary peritoneal cancer forms in the tissue lining the peritoneum. Your peritoneum is a tissue lining that covers the organs in the abdomen (belly).

These two cancers are like ovarian cancer, and they have the same treatments. So some medical experts also consider those two types as ovarian cancer.

Some other rarer types of ovarian cancer are malignant germ cell tumors and stromal tumors.

Ovarian cancer happens when there are changes (mutations) in the genetic material (DNA). Often, the exact cause of these genetic changes is unknown.

Most ovarian cancers are caused by genetic changes that happen during your lifetime. But sometimes these genetic changes are inherited, meaning that you are born with them. Ovarian cancer that is caused by inherited genetic changes is called hereditary ovarian cancer.

There are also certain genetic changes that can raise your risk of ovarian cancer, including changes called BRCA1 and BRCA2. These two changes also raise your risk of breast and other cancers.

Besides genetics, your lifestyle and the environment can affect your risk of ovarian cancer.

Certain people are more likely to develop ovarian cancer. They include those who:

  • Have a family history of ovarian cancer in a mother, aunt, grandmother, or sister
  • Have inherited changes in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes
  • Have certain other genetic conditions, such as Lynch syndrome
  • Have endometriosis
  • Took hormone replacement therapy
  • Are overweight or have obesity
  • Are tall
  • Are older, especially those who have gone through menopause
  • Have never been pregnant

Ovarian cancer may not cause early signs or symptoms. By the time you do have signs or symptoms, the cancer is often advanced.

The signs and symptoms may include:

  • Pain, swelling, or a feeling of pressure in the abdomen (belly) or pelvis
  • Sudden or frequent urge to urinate (pee)
  • Trouble eating or feeling full
  • A lump in the pelvic area
  • Gastrointestinal problems, such as gas, bloating, or constipation

To find out if you have ovarian cancer, your health care provider:

  • Will ask about your medical history, including your symptoms
  • Will ask about your family health history, including relatives who have had ovarian cancer
  • Will do a physical exam, including a pelvic exam
  • Will likely do imaging tests
  • May do blood tests such as a CA-125 blood test

Often the only way to know for sure that you have ovarian cancer is by having a biopsy of the tissue. A biopsy is done during surgery to remove the tumor.

Treatments for ovarian cancer may include:

  • Surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible
  • Chemotherapy
  • Targeted therapy, which uses drugs or other substances that attack specific cancer cells with less harm to normal cells

Your provider may suggest that you have genetic testing to look for the gene changes that raise the risk for ovarian cancer. Knowing whether you have the gene change may help your provider decide on your treatment plan.

It sits within Cancers, Women, Endocrine System and Female Reproductive System.

The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Cancer Institute.

When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.

Research on Ovarian Cancer

5,233 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.

What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.

Research currently under way

Research already completed

Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.

Where to read more

Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.

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Diagnosis and Tests

Treatments and Therapies

Prevention and Risk Factors

Living With

Related Issues

Genetics

Statistics and Research

Clinical Trials

Medical subject headings

Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Peritoneal Neoplasms, Fallopian Tube Neoplasms, Ovarian Neoplasms. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.

This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Ovarian Cancer, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.