What is ovarian cancer?

There are several types of ovarian cancer.

Ovarian tumors are the most histologically diverse group of tumors.

At least 80 percent of malignant ovarian tumors arise from the lining of the ovary and are called epithelial carcinomas.

The most common type is serous cyst adenocarcinoma, which accounts for 75 percent of cases of epithelial ovarian cancer.

The remaining 20 percent of malignant ovarian tumors are germ cell and sex cord-stromal cell tumors, which are non-epithelial in origin, and metastatic carcinoma to the ovary.

Germ cell tumors, which arise from the primary germ cells of the ovary, occur in young women and are uncommon in women more than 30 years old.