Women's HealthPending review
Ovarian cancer
Most ovarian cancer arises from fallopian tube or ovarian surface epithelium and spreads early across the capacious peritoneal cavity rather than via lymphatics, which is why it produces only vague abdominal symptoms and is usually advanced by the time it is diagnosed.
In a nutshell
High-grade serous ovarian cancer often originates in fallopian tube fimbrial epithelium and spreads transcoelomically across the capacious peritoneal cavity, producing diffuse peritoneal deposits and ascites well before a mass would be clinically obvious. This is why symptoms are vague, non-specific and typically detected late.
Classic presentation
Persistent bloating, early satiety, pelvic pain and urinary frequency in a woman, often over 50, that are new, frequent and do not settle.
Key points
- Spread is transcoelomic (across the peritoneum), not primarily lymphatic or haematogenous in the early stages, explaining diffuse peritoneal disease and ascites at presentation.
Educational content pending clinical review. Not medical advice.