Ovarian cancer (ovarian cancer) is a malignant tumor of the ovary of the woman, but one of the relatively rare cancers. The ovaries may also be affected by subsidiary ulcers (metastasis) of other cancers, such as from breast cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer or colon cancer.

The paired ovaries lie in the pelvis on either side of the uterus, are held by the peritoneum and are connected to the uterus via the so-called ovarian volume. In about half of cases of ovarian cancer, both ovaries are affected. Can breaks through the capsule of the ovary cancer, it metastasized to the abdominal cavity (scatter) so-called peritoneal carcinomatosis.

About the bloodstream can in ovarian cancer metastases in the pleura, liver, lung and caused less often in the skeleton, the kidneys, the brain or the skin. The metastases spread mainly via the lymphatics here: With the way Lymphabstrom daughter ulcers along the abdominal aorta and along the Hüftgefäße.

According to the spread of the disease are distinguished by the so-called FIGO classification (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) four tumor stages:

• FIGO I: Tumor limited to the ovary
• FIGO II: disease spread in the pelvis
• FIGO III: peritoneal or lymph node metastases
• FIGO IV: Distant metastases