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Papillary Ovarian Cancer

Papillary ovarian cancer is a less common form of ovarian cancer that is often referred to as papillary serous ovarian cancer. While all types of ovarian cancer are fought in a similar fashion, it is helpful to understand as much as possible about the specifics of papillary ovarian cancer to help demystify the process of treatment.

  1. Papillary Ovarian Cancer

    • According to statistics from Medline Plus, ovarian cancers are the fifth-most likely to affect women. Based on information from the cancer website Gyncancer.com and the American Cancer Society, papillary ovarian cancer is classified as an epithelial cancer, which means the cancer begins in the epithelial cells, which cover the outside of the ovaries. This is differentiated from the other types of possible ovarian tumors: germ cell (beginning within the ovaries in egg cells) and stromal (originating in the connective tissues within the ovaries).

    Symptoms

    • Early symptoms of papillary ovarian cancer overlap heavily with any number of other diseases. These symptoms include vaginal bleeding, fluctuations in weight, irregular periods, gas, reduction in appetite, bloating and localized pain in the lower back or abdomen. These are symptoms which can--and usually are--explained away to other ailments before seeking medical attention.

    Risk Factors

    • The primary risk factor for developing papillary ovarian cancer is age. Whereas only a quarter of ovarian cancer cases occur in women between the ages of 35 to 54, around two-thirds occur in women who are older than 54. Generally speaking, having children early in life seems to be related to a reduction in risk for developing ovarian cancer.

    Treatment

    • According to Medline Plus, surgery is the most favored treatment method for dealing with papillary ovarian cancer. Additionally, it is the only method which can produce an accurate diagnosis. While surgery is used as the primary treatment to remove as much of the existing tumor as possible, chemotherapy or radiation is often used following surgery to prevent a recurrence of cancerous cells.

    Prognosis

    • According to information on EMedTV.com, the average five-year survival rate for women diagnosed with papillary ovarian cancer is 40 to 42 percent. Note that the average five-year survival rate for individuals diagnosed while their cancer is still confined to the ovaries is 93 percent, indicating the importance of reporting any unusual symptoms to your health care practitioner as soon as possible.

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