The five-year survival rate for early invasive cervical cancer is 91 percent. For all stages it is 69 percent. Ovarian cancer forms on the surface of the ovaries. Cancer cells may drop from the ovaries and become implanted in the surrounding abdominal cavity, causing the disease to spread. In 2000, an estimated 23,000 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and 14,000 deaths will be attributed to the disease, making it the most deadly cancer of the reproductive area.
Ovarian cancer is a covert cancer.
Initially symptoms are vague, and when they develop they are often too subtle to signal a problem. The most common symptoms are pressure or fullness in the pelvis, abdominal bloating, fatigue, menstrual irregularities, changes in digestive, bowel or bladder patterns. Presence of the mutation can be determined by blood tests. There are also indications that uninterrupted ovulation and a history of infertility adds to the risk. Conversely, women who have had multiple pregnancies or taken birth control have a lower risk.