Ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer occurs in or near the ovaries. The ovaries are two small organs on either side of the uterus that produce eggs, as well as the hormones oestrogen and progesterone to regulate the menstrual cycle and the development of female physical characteristics.
What is ovarian cancer ?
We now know that ovarian cancer is not a single disease, but a variety of cancers that share a location in or near the ovaries, and that many of these cancers arise from cells outside the ovary. Up to 80% of ovarian cancer deaths are caused by high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC), but this mostly arises from cells of the fallopian tube spreading to the ovary.
Read about ovarian cancerKey Statistics
75%
Ovarian cancer is rarely diagnosed in the early stages and around 75% of patients present with advanced cancer at diagnosis
35–40%
Survival has little improved over the last 20 years and only 35–40% are likely to survive for five years
Top 5
Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer deaths in Western women
100,000
Globally an estimated 100,000 women die each year from recurrent ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer research at Garvan
Garvan has examined the role of genetic mutations as a gateway for improving treatment for women with ovarian cancer, as well as reducing risk in their female relatives.
Our ovarian cancer research