From the Cancer Center:

What is Ovarian Cancer?

Ovarian cancer develops in the ovaries, the female reproductive organs which store eggs and produce hormones. The most common type of ovarian cancer is epithelial cancer, which originates in the layer of cells that cover the ovaries and the abdominal cavity. This disease accounts for about 85 percent to 90 percent of all ovarian cancer cases.

What is the difference between fallopian tube cancer, peritoneal cancer and ovarian cancer?

The fallopian tubes are thought to be the source of some ovarian cancers. It is rare for cancers to spread from other parts of the body to the fallopian tubes; they typically spread to the ovaries. Peritoneal cancer develops in the peritoneaum, the lining that covers the surface of the ovaries and other organs in the abdominal cavity.

Although thee cancer types difffer in origin and other factors, ovarian, fallopian tube and peritoneal cancers are often treated with the same approach and techniques.

What Causes Ovarian Cancer?

It is not clear why some women develop ovarian cancer while others do not, but the risk of developing the disease increases with age. Other factors which may increase the risk of ovarian cancer include the following:

1. Pregnancy over the age of 35;
2. A history of not carrying a pregnancy to term;
3. Use of fertility drugs;
4. Use of androgens;
5. A family history of ovarian, breast or colorectal canceers;
6. A personal history of breast cancer;
7. A known genetic mutation (e.g. BRCA1 or BRCA2.