Ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is an infrequently diagnosed, but serious illness for women. One in 70 American women will receive this diagnosis in their lifetime. This year alone, 24,000 women will be diagnosed, and 14,200 will die. The therapy and prognosis varies significantly, based on the stage (extent of disease), grade (microscopic pattern of growth) and histology (cell type) of the disease.

Ovarian cancer is not one disease, but many. The ovary is an organ that contains many different types of cells - the germ cells ("eggs"), the surface epithelial cells, the stromal cells that surround the germ cells, as well as blood vessels and other supporting tissues. Each of these cells has the potential to develop into a malignancy. The most common type of ovarian malignancies are the epithelial ovarian cancers, and of these, the most common is papillary serous carcinoma. All subsequent discussion will focus on these epithelial cancers.

Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer forms in the interior lining of the cervix, the junction of the vagina and uterus. The development of cervical cancer is typically slow, and occurs over a period of years. The progression to cervical cancer begins with the development of precancerous changes in normal cells. Most of these changes, even if left untreated, will not progress to cancer. However, in 2008 the American Cancer Society estimates 11,070 women will be diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer and 3,870 will die of the disease in the United States.

Cervical cancer is most often diagnosed in middle-aged women, with half of those diagnosed between the ages of 35 and 55. Cervical cancer is very rarely seen in women less than 20 years of age, but approximately 20% of cases occur in women over 65, demonstrating the necessity of continued screening procedures. The five year survival rate of invasive cervical cancer is currently 72% and improvements in screening and the development of prophylactic vaccines have decreased the incidence of late-stage cancer.