About ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer develops in the ovaries, which are the female reproductive glands that produce eggs during a woman's reproductive years. The ovaries also produce the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Ovarian cancer develops when cells in the ovaries begin to grow out of control.

The American Cancer Society estimates that 21,750 new cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2020. Although relatively rare—accounting for about 3 percent of all cancers in women—ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in the United States.

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