Kristina Rua, Patient Nurse Navigator with Miami Cancer Institute, shares the differences between epithelial, stromal, and germ cell tumors, which are different types of ovarian cancer.

The epithelial tumor is the tumor that comes from the actual outer portion of the oval of the ovary.  It is the significant majority of ovarian cancers. About 85 to 90 percent of ovarian cancers are epithelial tumors, the most aggressive. 

 The stromal tumor is the connective tissue of the ovary. Most benign, and about 2-3% are stromal tumors.  

Germ cell tumors are what produce the ovum (the egg). Although they are far less frequent, they happen more in teenage and younger women. The majority of them are benign, if not, then they’re very treatable with the removal of that ovary. That way, women can keep fertility because they’re not undergoing significant surgeries. 

The most common would be the epithelial, as 85-90% of the diagnosed ovarian cancers are this type. They’re by far the most aggressive of the three ovarian cancers. There are several risk factors to watch for, some we have no control over. For example, Rua explains aging and genetic mutations are problems we cannot change; therefore, the significant majority of the risk factors are unable to be prevented, Estrogen and hormone replacement therapy have found that many women do develop ovarian cancer because of increased hormones. The age when menstruation starts and ends is also essential, as the more ovum you produce, the more risk of ovarian cancer you have. If you start younger, produce more eggs, and release more eggs, there is a higher risk of ovarian cancer. 

To watch the full segment explaining ovarian cancer, visit: https://youtu.be/iI_tCyfj-_c