IntechOpen New Updates in Ovarian Cancer (Oncology)

Cancers of the ovary are considered the most common forms of neoplasia in women. Among all the cancers that affect the genital tract of females, ovarian cancer incidence ranks only second to carcinoma of the cervix and the endometrium. In the USA, ovarian cancer accounts for about 2.5 % of all cancers in females and ranks 5th among the most common forms of cancer in women. Because ovarian cancers cannot be detected early during their development, they constitute a disproportionate percentage of all cancer deaths among women. There are many types of ovarian cancer, including both benign and malignant, with approximately 80 % being benign and occurring mostly in young women between the ages of 40 and 69 years. Globally, ovarian cancer ranks 18th among the most common cancers. The American Cancer Society predicts there will be 20,890 new ovarian cancer diagnoses and 12,730 ovarian cancer deaths in the USA by the end of 2025. The 5-year survival rate of ovarian cancer is about 50.9%. Worldwide, 1.1 % of women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer sometime during their lifetime. There are many ovarian cancer risk factors. However, nulliparous families with inheritable mutations in BRCA1, BRCA2, RAD51C, RAD51D, MSH2, MLH1, MSH6, and PMS2 play significant roles in developing ovarian cancer, in particular hereditary forms of ovarian cancer. Because the symptoms of the initial stages of ovarian cancer are undetectable, it is exceedingly difficult to diagnose it at initial stages; hence, it is exceedingly difficult to treat ovarian cancer. In the last 20 years, we have seen advancements in the identification of new biomarkers, methods for efficient diagnosis, and treatment modalities for ovarian cancer. Currently, the main methods for treatment include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and other non-conventional/traditional approaches for treating ovarian cancers. In this book, the authors are invited to discuss the types of ovarian cancer, new markers for early detection, the roles of modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors, the roles of inheritable gene mutations, nutrition and environmental factors, and basic molecular mechanisms mediated by various cytokines/chemokines and other growth factors that regulate ovarian cancer pathogenesis.