Ovarian cancer can be different for every patient. Based on the type and diagnosis of the condition, every patient receives a different course of treatment. This means, to make the treatment most effective, knowing the type of ovarian cancer is essential for the doctor and the patient.
Here are the various types of ovarian cancer that a person can get diagnosed with.
Epithelial carcinoma
Accounting for more than 85 to 89 percent of total ovarian cancer cases, this type of ovarian cancer is the most commonly diagnosed. In the early stages, this type of ovarian cancer does not cause any symptoms. Hence, most people are diagnosed when they have already reached an advanced stage. There are genetic factors involved that cause the onset of this type of ovarian cancer. It is a genetic condition that can be transferred from one generation to another.
Germ cell carcinoma
In this type, tumors can start appearing in the germ cells that produce eggs in the ovaries. Germ cell carcinoma is found to be in less than 2 percent of total ovarian cancers. It is most likely to be found in teens and females who are in their 20s. The tumors in this type of ovarian can be huge, and they can also grow more quickly. In some cases, the tumor can also be found in the human chorionic gonadotropin or HCG. In such cases, the presence of a tumor can show a false positive pregnancy report.
Stromal cell cancer
This type of ovarian cancer starts to develop in the ovarian cells. Some of these cells are responsible for producing hormones in the ovaries, including progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone. This is a rare type of ovarian cancer and does not tend to grow rapidly. The presence of this type of cancer can lead to the secretion of testosterone and estrogen. When these hormones are present in excess, they can cause the growth of facial hair and acne. The secretion of estrogen in excess can also cause uterine bleeding. These are some of the symptoms of the condition that can be noticed easily.
Sex cord-stromal tumor
This type of ovarian cancer is rara as it accounts for just 1 percent of the total ovarian cancer cases. This cancer develops in the stroma tissue cells that are responsible for producing female hormones, progesterone, and estrogen. Since these tumors result in an abundant supply of estrogen, there can be unusual bleeding from the vagina.
Ovarian sarcoma
In this type, the tumor develops in the connective tissue present in the ovarian cells. This type of ovarian cancer has subtypes which are namely: fibrosarcomas, carcinosarcomas, adenosarcomas, and leiomyosarcomas.
Krukenberg tumors
This type of ovarian cancer originates from other organs, usually the gastrointestinal tract, and spreads to the ovaries. This is a rare type of ovarian cancer and is usually treated by a team of oncologists and doctors who are treating the origin of cancer.
