Your Health FolateScan Ovarian cancer is the sixth most common cancer in American women. According to the American Cancer Society, about 23,100 new cases will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year and 14,000 women will die from it. The causes of most ovarian cancers aren t known. However, several factors have been identified which increase risk for the disease. The main types of treatment for ovarian cancer are surgery and chemotherapy.
Success often depends upon how far the cancer has spread when it s detected.
The average five-year survival rate is 50 percent. If the cancer s found while it s still confined to the ovary, five-year survival rates average 95 percent. Unfortunately, patients usually don t have any symptoms until the cancer has spread. So only about 25 percent of patients are diagnosed in early stages. Routine pelvic examination is used to screen women for ovarian cancer.