When tumors with low malignant potential are confined to the ovary, surgical removal results in a cure rate of 90 percent, Dr. Muto says. Even if the tumor spreads to other parts of the abdomen, the survival rate is better than that for epithelial cancer, which spreads more aggressively. Take a look at the survival rates in 1969 and then again in 1994. Just pull an old book out of the library, look up the survival rates over the last 30 years and you won't find a bit of difference. One of the difficulties in finding better ways to treat ovarian cancer is that its cause is still a mystery.
Some scientists feel it's caused by a gene that has been preprogrammed by heredity to cause trouble.
Still, scientists point out that heredity accounts for only 5 to 7 percent of all ovarian cancer. Some scientists feel that it's triggered by a virus or a chemical carcinogen that travels from outside the body through the vagina and cervix, into the uterus and out through the fallopian tubes into the abdominal cavity, where the rich hormonal mix from a woman's reproductive system promotes malignant growth. But others suspect the cause is more direct. Every month an egg literally bursts through the outer layer of this walnut-size ovary. It's then caught by the fallopian tube and sent on its way to the uterus.