ABSTRACT
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EPC) is a heterogeneous disease. Ovarian neoplasms can be
subdivided into threemain groups: epithelial/stromal, germ cell, or sex cord/stromal.Among
epithelial tumors, different tumor subtypes present with different clinical andmorphological
features reflecting their underlying distinctive molecular characteristics. EPC has a poor
outcome in part due to the fact that at the time of diagnosis, 75% of the patients have disease
advanced beyond the ovary. Patients with early-stage disease, limited to the ovary or pelvis
(Stages I and II, respectively), have survival in the 80% to 95% range,whereas the survival of
patients with disease involving the upper abdomen or beyond (Stages III and IV,
respectively) is 10% to 30% (1). In the United States, 10% to 20% of patients with ovarian
cancer have a first-or second-degree relative with breast and/or ovarian cancer (2). The
lifetime risk for developing ovarian cancer in the general population is 1.6%whereas it rises
up to 7% if women have two first-degree relatives affected with this disease.
