Ovarian cancer is an abnormal growth of tissue in the ovary. The ovaries are part of the female reproductive system where the eggs are produced. Most ovarian cancers develop on the surface of the ovary.
There are 3 main types of ovarian cancer:
- Epithelial tumours develop on the surface (epithelium) of the ovary and are the most common type
- Germ cell tumours occur in the cells that produce the eggs and can develop in younger women
- Stromal tumours develop in the oestrogen and progesterone-producing tissues of the ovary – oestrogen and progesterone are the hormones that regulate the menstrual cycle