Ovarian Cancer: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment — What You Need to Know
Updated: 2 days ago
Medically reviewed by Dr. Baraa Alnahhal, MD · Last reviewed: September 2026
Quick answer: Ovarian cancer is a cancer that begins in the ovaries, two glands each about the size of an almond, one on each side of the uterus, that produce eggs and the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Cancer cells multiply quickly, can invade healthy tissue, and can spread to other parts of the body.
Early on, ovarian cancer often causes no noticeable symptoms. When symptoms do appear, they can mimic common conditions: abdominal bloating or swelling, quickly feeling full when eating, weight loss, pelvic discomfort, fatigue, back pain, changes in bowel habits, and a frequent need to urinate.
Risk factors include older age, inherited gene changes (such as BRCA1 and BRCA2), family history, being overweight or obese, postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy, endometriosis, early menstruation or late menopause, and never having been pregnant. There is no sure way to prevent it, but birth control pills and discussing your risk with a doctor may help reduce it. Treatment usually combines surgery and chemotherapy, sometimes with targeted therapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, or heated chemotherapy during surgery (HIPEC).
TL;DR: Ovarian cancer is a growth of cells that forms in the ovaries and can invade and destroy healthy tissue. Early ovarian cancer often causes no noticeable symptoms, and when symptoms occur they are usually attributed to more common conditions. The exact cause is unclear, but the disease begins with DNA mutations in cells in or near the ovaries. There are three types: epithelial (most common), stromal (rare, usually diagnosed earlier), and germ cell (rare, tends to occur younger).
Diagnosis involves a pelvic exam, imaging (ultrasound or CT), blood tests including the CA 125 tumor marker, sometimes surgery to confirm, and genetic testing. Staging runs from 1 (confined to the ovaries) to 4 (spread to distant areas). Treatment usually combines surgery and chemotherapy, with options including targeted therapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, HIPEC, and palliative care.
This article is based on two expert-reviewed clinical overviews dated May 2, 2025. The sources provide no incidence, survival-rate, or cure-rate statistics, and none are presented here. Suitability of any treatment depends on individual circumstances and a specialist team's judgment.
When Should You See a Doctor?
Ovarian cancer may cause no noticeable symptoms when it first develops. When symptoms do happen, they are usually attributed to other, more common conditions, which is one reason this cancer can go unrecognized for a while.
Make an appointment with your doctor if you have any signs or symptoms that worry you.
These symptoms overlap heavily with everyday digestive and urinary complaints. What matters is persistence and worry. New, lasting, or unusual combinations of these symptoms, particularly bloating, early fullness, and pelvic discomfort, deserve evaluation rather than waiting them out.
When ovarian cancer first develops, it might not cause any noticeable symptoms. When ovarian cancer symptoms happen, they're usually attributed to other, more common conditions.
What Exactly Is Ovarian Cancer?
Ovarian cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the ovaries. The female reproductive system contains two ovaries, one on each side of the uterus. Each ovary is about the size of an almond. The ovaries do two important jobs: they produce eggs (called ova), and they produce the hormones estrogen and progesterone.
Ovarian cancer is a growth of cells that forms in the ovaries. The cells multiply quickly and can invade and destroy healthy body tissue. Ovarian cancer treatment usually involves surgery and chemotherapy.
The Three Types of Ovarian Cancer
The type of cell where the cancer begins determines the type of ovarian cancer you have and helps your doctor determine which treatments are best for you.
Epithelial ovarian cancer: The most common type; includes several subtypes, including serous carcinoma and mucinous carcinoma.
Stromal tumors: Rare tumors that are usually diagnosed at an earlier stage than other ovarian cancers.
Germ cell tumors: Rare ovarian cancers that tend to occur at a younger age.
What Are the Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer?
When ovarian cancer first develops, it might not cause any noticeable symptoms. When symptoms happen, they are usually attributed to other, more common conditions. This is the central challenge of recognizing the disease early. Signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer may include:
Abdominal bloating or swelling: A belly that looks or feels swollen or bloated.
Quickly feeling full when eating: Becoming full fast, even with small meals.
Weight loss: Losing weight without trying.
Discomfort in the pelvic area: Pelvic pain or pressure.
Fatigue: Feeling very tired.
Back pain: Pain in the back.
Changes in bowel habits: Such as constipation.
Frequent need to urinate: Needing to urinate more often.
Because no single symptom is specific to ovarian cancer, the combination and persistence of symptoms matter. A new pattern of bloating, early fullness, and pelvic discomfort that does not resolve is a reason to be evaluated.
What Causes Ovarian Cancer?
It is not clear what causes ovarian cancer, though doctors have identified things that can increase the risk of the disease. What is understood is the mechanism at the cell level. Ovarian cancer begins when cells in or near the ovaries develop changes (mutations) in their DNA. A cell's DNA contains the instructions that tell the cell what to do.
The changes tell the cells to grow and multiply quickly, creating a mass (tumor) of cancer cells. The cancer cells continue living when healthy cells would die. They can invade nearby tissues and break off from an initial tumor to spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body.
Who Is at Higher Risk?
Doctors have identified several factors that can increase the risk of ovarian cancer:
Older age: Risk increases as you age; it is most often diagnosed in older adults.
Inherited gene changes: A small percentage of ovarian cancers are caused by gene changes inherited from parents. These include BRCA1 and BRCA2 (which also raise breast cancer risk), gene changes associated with Lynch syndrome, and the genes BRIP1, RAD51C and RAD51D.
Family history of ovarian cancer: Blood relatives diagnosed with ovarian cancer may increase your risk.
Being overweight or obese: Increases risk.
Postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy: Taking hormone replacement therapy to control menopause signs and symptoms may increase risk. Learn more in our guide to menopause stages, symptoms, and management.
Endometriosis: An often painful disorder in which tissue similar to the tissue lining the inside of the uterus grows outside the uterus.
Age when menstruation started and ended: Beginning menstruation at an early age or starting menopause at a later age, or both, may increase risk.
Never having been pregnant: May increase risk.
Having one or more of these risk factors does not mean you will develop ovarian cancer, and many people diagnosed have no known risk factors beyond age.
Can Ovarian Cancer Be Prevented?
There is no sure way to prevent ovarian cancer. But there may be ways to reduce your risk:
Consider taking birth control pills: Taking birth control pills (oral contraceptives) reduces the risk of ovarian cancer, but these medications do have risks, so discuss whether the benefits outweigh those risks based on your situation.
Discuss your risk factors with your doctor: If you have a family history of breast and ovarian cancers, bring this up. Your doctor can determine what this may mean for your own risk, and you may be referred to a genetic counselor who can help you decide whether genetic testing may be right for you. If you are found to have a gene change that increases your risk, you may consider surgery to remove your ovaries to prevent cancer.
How Is Ovarian Cancer Diagnosed?
Tests and procedures used to diagnose ovarian cancer include pelvic exam, imaging tests, blood tests, surgery, and genetic testing.
Pelvic exam: A healthcare professional inserts gloved fingers into the vagina while pressing a hand on the abdomen to feel (palpate) the pelvic organs, and also visually examines the external genitalia, vagina and cervix.
Imaging tests: Ultrasound or CT scans of the abdomen and pelvis may help determine the size, shape and structure of the ovaries.
Blood tests: May include organ function tests to determine overall health. They may also test for tumor markers indicating ovarian cancer; for example, the CA 125 test detects a protein often found on the surface of ovarian cancer cells.
Surgery: Sometimes the diagnosis cannot be certain until surgery removes an ovary for testing.
Genetic testing: A blood sample may be tested for gene changes that increase ovarian cancer risk. Knowing you have an inherited change helps your doctor make decisions about your treatment plan, and you may wish to share the information with blood relatives such as siblings and children.
An important note about tumor marker tests: the CA 125 test and similar blood tests cannot tell your doctor whether you have cancer, but they may provide clues about your diagnosis and prognosis.
How Is Ovarian Cancer Staged?
Once it is confirmed that you have ovarian cancer, your doctor will use information from your tests and procedures to assign your cancer a stage. The stages of ovarian cancer range from 1 to 4, which are often indicated with Roman numerals I to IV.
Stage 1: The lowest stage; cancer is confined to the ovaries.
Stages 2–3: Cancer has grown beyond the ovaries into nearby areas.
Stage 4: Cancer has spread to distant areas of the body.
How Is Ovarian Cancer Treated?
Treatment of ovarian cancer usually involves a combination of surgery and chemotherapy. Other treatments may be used in certain situations.
Surgery Options
Operations to remove ovarian cancer depend on how far the cancer has spread and on whether you wish to preserve the ability to have children:
Surgery to remove one ovary: Used for early-stage cancer that has not spread beyond one ovary. It removes the affected ovary and its fallopian tube, and may preserve your ability to have children.
Surgery to remove both ovaries: Used when cancer is present in both ovaries with no signs of additional cancer. It removes both ovaries and both fallopian tubes but leaves the uterus intact, so you may still become pregnant using frozen embryos or eggs, or with eggs from a donor.
Surgery to remove both ovaries and the uterus: Used for more extensive cancer, or when you do not wish to preserve the ability to have children. It removes the ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, nearby lymph nodes and a fold of fatty abdominal tissue (omentum).
Surgery for advanced cancer: Removes as much of the cancer as possible. Chemotherapy is sometimes given before or after surgery.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a drug treatment that uses chemicals to kill fast-growing cells in the body, including cancer cells. Chemotherapy drugs can be injected into a vein or taken by mouth.
Chemotherapy is often used after surgery to kill any cancer cells that might remain. It can also be used before surgery. In certain situations, chemotherapy drugs may be heated and infused into the abdomen during surgery. This is called hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). The drugs are left in place for a certain amount of time before they are drained. Then the operation is completed.
Other Treatment Options
Targeted therapy: Drugs focus on specific weaknesses present within cancer cells; by attacking these weaknesses they cause cancer cells to die. Your cancer cells may be tested to determine which targeted therapy is most likely to work. Used in certain situations.
Hormone therapy: Drugs block the effects of estrogen on ovarian cancer cells. Some ovarian cancer cells use estrogen to help them grow, so blocking estrogen may help control the cancer. It may be used for some slow-growing types, or if cancer comes back after initial treatments.
Immunotherapy: Uses the immune system to fight cancer. Cancer cells produce proteins that help them hide from immune system cells, and immunotherapy interferes with that process. Used in certain situations.
Palliative (supportive) care: Specialized medical care focusing on relief from pain and other symptoms of a serious illness. It works with you, your family and your other doctors, and is provided by a team of doctors, nurses and other specially trained professionals. It can be used alongside aggressive treatments such as surgery and chemotherapy, and when used with other treatments, people with cancer may feel better and live longer.
How Do You Cope with an Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis?
A diagnosis of ovarian cancer can be overwhelming. In time you will find ways to cope with your feelings. In the meantime, the sources suggest four approaches.
Find someone to talk with: You may feel comfortable discussing your feelings with a friend or family member, or you might prefer meeting with a formal support group. Support groups for the families of people with cancer also are available.
Let people help: Cancer treatments can be exhausting. Let people know what would be most useful for you.
Set reasonable goals: Having goals helps you feel in control and can give you a sense of purpose. But choose goals that you can reach.
Take time for yourself: Eating well, relaxing and getting enough rest can help combat the stress and fatigue of cancer.
What Should You Prepare for Your Appointment?
Start by making an appointment with your family doctor or gynecologist if you have any signs or symptoms that worry you. If your primary care doctor suspects ovarian cancer, you may be referred to a specialist in female reproductive cancers, a gynecological oncologist. This is an obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-GYN) who has additional training in the diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer and other gynecological cancers.
Because appointments can be brief, preparation helps:
Be aware of restrictions, such as not eating solid food on the day before your appointment.
Write down your symptoms, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for the appointment.
Write down key medical information, including other conditions.
Write down key personal information, including any major changes or stressors in your life.
List all medications, vitamins or supplements.
Ask someone to accompany you, a relative or friend, to help you remember what the doctor says.
Write down questions, prioritized from most to least important.
Questions worth asking include: What is the most likely cause of my symptoms? What kinds of tests do I need? What treatments are available, and what side effects can I expect? What is the prognosis? If I still want to have children, what options are available to me? I have other health conditions; how can I best manage them together?
Your doctor is likely to ask about when symptoms first began and how severe they are, whether symptoms have been continuous or occasional, and what seems to improve or worsen them.
Conclusion
Ovarian cancer begins in the ovaries, two small glands that produce eggs and the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Because early ovarian cancer often causes no noticeable symptoms, and because its symptoms (bloating, early fullness, pelvic discomfort, fatigue, urinary frequency) so easily mimic everyday conditions, the disease is frequently recognized late. That makes paying attention to your body and acting on symptoms that worry you the most important step any reader can take.
Risk is shaped by age, inherited gene changes (especially BRCA1 and BRCA2), family history, weight, hormone therapy, endometriosis, reproductive history, and menstrual timing. There is no sure way to prevent ovarian cancer, but birth control pills and a candid risk discussion with your doctor, potentially including genetic testing, can reduce risk for some people. Diagnosis combines pelvic exam, imaging, blood tests including CA 125, sometimes surgery, and genetic testing. Treatment usually involves surgery plus chemotherapy, with targeted therapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, HIPEC, and palliative care available depending on the situation.
Call to Action
If you are noticing symptoms that worry you, especially persistent bloating, early fullness, pelvic discomfort, or urinary changes, make an appointment with your doctor or gynecologist. If your family carries a history of breast or ovarian cancer, or known gene changes like BRCA1 or BRCA2, bring this up with your doctor and ask whether genetic counseling is right for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ovarian cancer?
Ovarian cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the ovaries. It is a growth of cells that forms in the ovaries. The cells multiply quickly and can invade and destroy healthy body tissue.
Where are the ovaries and what do they do?
The female reproductive system contains two ovaries, one on each side of the uterus. Each ovary is about the size of an almond. They produce eggs (ova) and the hormones estrogen and progesterone.
What are the symptoms of ovarian cancer?
Signs and symptoms may include abdominal bloating or swelling, quickly feeling full when eating, weight loss, discomfort in the pelvic area, fatigue, back pain, changes in bowel habits such as constipation, and a frequent need to urinate.
Why is ovarian cancer often found late?
When ovarian cancer first develops, it might not cause any noticeable symptoms. When symptoms do happen, they are usually attributed to other, more common conditions.
Do all ovarian cancers cause symptoms early on?
No. Ovarian cancer might not cause any noticeable symptoms when it first develops.
What causes ovarian cancer?
It is not clear what causes ovarian cancer. It begins when cells in or near the ovaries develop changes (mutations) in their DNA. The changes tell the cells to grow and multiply quickly, creating a mass of cancer cells that continue living when healthy cells would die.
What are the types of ovarian cancer?
There are three main types: epithelial ovarian cancer (the most common, with subtypes including serous carcinoma and mucinous carcinoma), stromal tumors (rare, usually diagnosed earlier), and germ cell tumors (rare, tending to occur at a younger age).
Which type of ovarian cancer is most common?
Epithelial ovarian cancer is the most common type.
What increases the risk of ovarian cancer?
Risk factors include older age, inherited gene changes (BRCA1, BRCA2, Lynch syndrome, BRIP1, RAD51C, RAD51D), family history of ovarian cancer, being overweight or obese, postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy, endometriosis, early menstruation or late menopause, and never having been pregnant.
Do BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes cause ovarian cancer?
A small percentage of ovarian cancers are caused by gene changes inherited from parents, including BRCA1 and BRCA2. These same genes also increase the risk of breast cancer.
Does being overweight increase ovarian cancer risk?
Yes. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of ovarian cancer.
Can endometriosis increase ovarian cancer risk?
Yes. Endometriosis, an often painful disorder in which tissue similar to the tissue lining the inside of the uterus grows outside the uterus, is listed as a risk factor.
Does never being pregnant affect ovarian cancer risk?
If you have never been pregnant, you may have an increased risk of ovarian cancer.
Can ovarian cancer be prevented?
There is no sure way to prevent ovarian cancer. But taking birth control pills reduces the risk (though these medications have risks of their own to discuss with a doctor), and discussing your risk factors, including family history, with your doctor may lead to genetic testing and, if a risk gene change is found, consideration of surgery to remove the ovaries.
How is ovarian cancer diagnosed?
Diagnosis may involve a pelvic exam, imaging tests (ultrasound or CT scans of the abdomen and pelvis), blood tests including organ function tests and tumor marker tests like CA 125, surgery to remove an ovary for testing, and genetic testing.
What is the CA 125 test?
The CA 125 test detects a protein that is often found on the surface of ovarian cancer cells. It cannot tell a doctor whether you have cancer, but it may provide clues about your diagnosis and prognosis.
What are the stages of ovarian cancer?
Stages range from 1 to 4, often indicated with Roman numerals I to IV. Stage 1 means the cancer is confined to the ovaries. By stage 4, the cancer has spread to distant areas of the body.
What is the treatment for ovarian cancer?
Treatment usually involves a combination of surgery and chemotherapy. Other treatments may be used in certain situations, including targeted therapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC).
What surgery options exist for ovarian cancer?
Surgery may remove one ovary and its fallopian tube (early stage, may preserve fertility), both ovaries and fallopian tubes (leaving the uterus intact for possible future pregnancy), or both ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, nearby lymph nodes and omentum (for more extensive cancer). Advanced cancer may involve surgery to remove as much cancer as possible.
Can surgery for ovarian cancer preserve fertility?
For early-stage cancer that has not spread beyond one ovary, surgery may involve removing the affected ovary and its fallopian tube, which may preserve your ability to have children. Removing both ovaries while leaving the uterus intact may still allow pregnancy using frozen embryos or eggs, or eggs from a donor.
What is HIPEC?
Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is when chemotherapy drugs are heated and infused into the abdomen during surgery. The drugs are left in place for a certain amount of time before they are drained, then the operation is completed.
When is chemotherapy used for ovarian cancer?
Chemotherapy is often used after surgery to kill any cancer cells that might remain. It can also be used before surgery.
What is hormone therapy for ovarian cancer?
Hormone therapy uses drugs to block the effects of estrogen on ovarian cancer cells. Some ovarian cancer cells use estrogen to help them grow, so blocking estrogen may help control the cancer. It might be an option for some slow-growing types or if cancer comes back after initial treatments.
When is immunotherapy used for ovarian cancer?
Immunotherapy uses the immune system to fight cancer by interfering with the proteins cancer cells use to hide from immune cells. It might be an option for treating ovarian cancer in certain situations.
What is palliative care for ovarian cancer?
Palliative care is specialized medical care focused on relief from pain and other symptoms of a serious illness. It works with you, your family and your other doctors. When used along with all other appropriate treatments, people with cancer may feel better and live longer.
Who is a gynecological oncologist?
A gynecological oncologist is an obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-GYN) with additional training in the diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer and other gynecological cancers. You may be referred to one if your doctor suspects ovarian cancer.
Should I consider genetic testing for ovarian cancer?
Your doctor may recommend genetic testing to look for gene changes that increase ovarian cancer risk. Knowing about an inherited change helps treatment decisions, and you may wish to share the information with blood relatives such as siblings and children, who may carry the same gene changes.
How should I cope after an ovarian cancer diagnosis?
Find someone to talk with (a friend, family member, or formal support group), let people help with practical needs, set reasonable goals you can reach, and take time for yourself. Eating well, relaxing and getting enough rest can help combat the stress and fatigue of cancer.
Can I still have children after ovarian cancer treatment?
It depends on your situation. Surgery to remove one ovary may preserve your ability to have children. If both ovaries are removed but the uterus remains, you may still become pregnant using your own frozen embryos or eggs, or with eggs from a donor. This is a question worth asking your doctor early.
When should I see a doctor about possible ovarian cancer symptoms?
Make an appointment with your doctor if you have any signs or symptoms that worry you.
Sources and Helpful Resources
Medical Disclaimer
This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking care because of something you have read here. Ovarian cancer symptoms overlap with many common conditions; evaluation by a healthcare professional is essential for accurate diagnosis, and treatment decisions should be made with a specialist team familiar with your individual circumstances.
Source date: May 2, 2025.
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