Staging Ovarian Cancer

Abstract

Ovarian cancer is becoming a common malignancy. It has been considered a family of malignancies arising within the ovary rather than a single entity. The ovary is complex in its embryology, histology, steroidogenesis, and potential for malignancy. It is made up of germ cells, gonadal stromal cells, and cells of the mesenchymal tissue, each with its own potential to form a tumor. Although sex is determined genetically at fertilization, the ovary passes through its early phases as an indifferent organ with parallel development that could allow it to become an ovary or a testis. Alterations or imbalances during these steps of development may provide the setting for the later cellular malfunctioning that produces endocrine imbalances as well as malignancy. The ovary is unique in that it not only gives rise to a great variety of malignancies but itself is a favorite site for metastases from many other organs.