Ovarian Tumor
Ovarian Tumor
The words “ovarian tumor” can cause any woman to stress out. However, the detection of such a growth does not necessarily mean that it is malignant. Most of these growths are, in fact, benign and do not spread any farther than the ovaries. But in some cases, the ovarian tumor is malignant, and then the most beneficial course of treatment must be decided.
There are three basic kinds of tumors which develop on the ovaries. These are: epithelial tumors, germ cell tumors, and stromal tumors. These tumors get their names from the type of cells that they are made of. The name is also from whether or not they are malignant or not.
Epithelial Tumors
The first type of ovarian tumor we will discuss is the epithelial tumor. Surrounding the ovary is the cellular layer called the germinal epithelium. The women who usually develop these are between the ages of 45 and 70, post-menopausal. These ovarian tumors compromise three fourths of those which are cancerous.
It is not common, however, for these tumors to be malignant. They also do not cause any serious health problems, neither do they generally spread. There are different types of epithelial tumors such as Brenner tumors, mucinous tumors, and serous adenomas.
Germ Cell Tumors
Another type of tumor is the germ cell tumor. This type of tumor develops from the cells that form the reproductive egg, the germ cells. These usually develop in young women and can start as early as puberty. Only an extremely small percentage of these tumors become malignant. Although these can be very life threatening if they do become malignant, the treatment success rate with these tumors is extremely high.
The different types of germ cell tumors are: endodermal sinus tumors, teratomas, choriaocarcinomas, and dysgerminomas.
Stromal Tumors
The last type of tumor that we will discuss is the stromal tumor. Compared to the epithelium tumor, these are very rare. These tumors develop from the hormone producing cells which compose the structure of the ovary. It is more common to see these tumors in women around the age of 40-60 although a very small percentage is seen in younger women. Around 5%-10% of these tumors become malignant. Chemotherapy is the usual treatment for these tumors, although if they don’t spread then a simply surgery is the only requirement.
Granulosa cell tumors are the malignant form of stromal tumors and causes unusual vaginal bleeding. Since the stromal tumor produces estrogen, pre-teen girls can have both periods and post-menopausal women to have bleeding much like the periods that they once had.
Sometimes stromal tumors can produce male hormones which will cause menstruation to stop. These male hormones can also cause excessive hair growth on the face and body. This type of tumor can also sometimes cause bleeding as well. However, this type of malignant tumor is usually not serious and responds very well to treatment.
The discovery of an ovarian tumor is not always something to worry you about. The majority do not turn out to be malignant. For the few that do turn out to be cancerous, the treatment success rate is very high. Your doctor can advise you on the proper treatment for your ovarian tumor.
