Ovarian cancer

Our plain-English summary of Ovarian cancer, by H.R. Barber (CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 1986).

The study

• Author: H.R. Barber
• Journal: CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians
• Published: 1986;36(3):149-84
• Type of article: Review
• Cited by: 32 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

Early diagnosis is the most effective means of reducing the currently high mortality rate associated with ovarian cancer. The palpation of what appears to be a normal size ovary in a premenopausal woman suggests an ovarian tumor in a postmenopausal woman. Ovarian cancer should be ruled out in any woman 40 years of age or older who has persistent, unexplained GI symptoms. Ninety percent of all ovarian tumors are of epithelial origin. Treatment consists of total hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, omentectomy, and appendectomy. Instillation of P32 is optional. In stages IIb, III, and IV tumors, chemotherapy is advised; in stages I and IIa, the use of prophylactic chemotherapy must be judged on an individual basis. In children, ovarian cancer that is beyond the localized stage is one of the most frustrating of all gynecologic diseases. Total surgical extirpation of disease is the only hope for cure; for now, early diagnosis is more chance than scientific method. Thanks to better public and professional education, ovarian cancer is now being diagnosed at an earlier stage. The earlier the diagnosis, the greater the chance for cure. It is becoming obvious that ovarian cancer is a disease of the GI tract, and physicians treating ovarian cancer should be prepared to deal with bowel-associated problems. The practice of tapping women with ascites for diagnosis as well as doing an exploration merely to obtain a biopsy should be discouraged. Unless the physician is prepared to carry out the optimal surgical approach for the patient, it is crucial that the patient be referred to either a center or to a physician who is actively engaged in the day-to-day care of cancer patients. With the combined use of all the available treatment methods, patients with ovarian cancer are now living longer and more comfortably. There is also indication that their long-term survival will be increased. The one message that is important for both patients and physicians is that the gloom and doom of the 1960s and 1970s can now be replaced by a spirit of optimism.

In plain English

This article was a narrative review of ovarian cancer written for clinicians. It covered how often the disease occurs, suspected risk factors, symptoms, diagnosis, tumor types, staging and treatment in adults, pregnant women and children. It was not a study of asbestos and reported no original data on asbestos exposure. Asbestos appeared once, in a list of factors the author described as suspected of being linked with ovarian cancer: "exposure to industrial products such as asbestos and talc." No evidence or risk figures were given for that link. In a section titled "Ovarian Mesothelioma," the author described another researcher's (Woodruff's) proposal that the ovary and the whole peritoneal cavity are mesothelial structures, and that common ovarian surface cancers may be mesotheliomas. Woodruff also suggested that unnamed carcinogens introduced into industrialized urban communities may explain rising rates. The author noted that 60 to 70 percent of cases were at stage III or IV when diagnosed. The author concluded that early diagnosis is the most effective way to reduce deaths and that patients were living longer and more comfortably.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: narrative clinical review
• Who was studied: No study population. The review discussed ovarian cancer in women and children in general, drawing on published data from the US and other countries.
• Exposure: Asbestos and talc were listed, without supporting data, among many factors suspected of being linked with ovarian cancer. The article did not name any fiber type.
• Main results:
  • The author reported Woodruff's proposal that the ovary and the entire peritoneal cavity are mesothelial structures.
  • According to the author, Woodruff presented evidence that ovarian surface tumors usually called cystadenocarcinoma, papillary carcinoma or undifferentiated cancer are mesotheliomas.
  • Woodruff suggested that a rise in ovarian tumor malignancy rates since 1900 points to carcinogens introduced into industrialized urban communities. No specific carcinogen was named.
  • The author stated that at first diagnosis about 60 to 70 percent of ovarian tumors had already reached stage III or IV.
  • The author stated that the five-year survival rate for patients with invasive ovarian cancer was 15 to 25 percent.
  • The author stated that patients with ovarian cancer were living longer and more comfortably.
• The authors' conclusion: The author concluded that early diagnosis is the most effective means of reducing the high death rate from ovarian cancer.

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Ovarian cancer.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Ovarian Cancer, Bilateral, Chemotherapy, Ascites, Biopsy.

Related studies

• A new policy regarding ovarian resection in young women treated for peritoneal carcinomatosis — D. Elias, E. Duchalais, et al. (2013)
• Ovarian cancer and talc: a case-control study — D.W. Cramer, W.R. Welch, et al. (1982)
• Human ovarian tumors of epithelial origin express PDGF in vitro and in vivo — M.A. Versnel, M. Haarbrink, et al. (1994)
• Frequency of Asbestos Exposure and Histological Subtype of Ovarian Carcinoma — P. Vidican, O. Perol, et al. (2022)
• Cytokeratin 5/6 expression, prognosis, and association with estrogen receptor α in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma — E.T. Taube, C. Denkert, et al. (2017)
• Evaluation of MTAP immunohistochemistry loss of expression in ovarian serous borderline tumors as a potential marker for prognosis and progression — N. Nilforoushan, N.A. Moatamed (2020)

Browse more research in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, or return to medical research.