Ovarian cancer

Current information about ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the female reproductive organs that produce and store eggs (ovaries). It develops when abnormal ovarian cells divide and multiply in an uncontrolled manner.1

Around 90% of ovarian cancers are epithelial tumours, which mainly occur in women after the menopause. Other rare types of ovarian cancer include germ cell tumours and sex cord stromal tumours.2

Ovarian cancer is the deadliest type of cancer in gynaecology. Less than half of patients survive more than five years after diagnosis.2 The survival rate for early-stage ovarian cancer (stages 1 and 2) is 80-90%, but only 25% for late-stage ovarian cancer (stages 3 and 4).3

More than 75% of affected women are diagnosed at an advanced stage as the disease is usually asymptomatic in the early stages and the symptoms are non-specific in the late stages of the disease.2

In Switzerland, 600 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer every year and 390 women die from the disease. According to current Swiss figures, the 5-year survival rate is 47%.4

The greatest risk factors for ovarian cancer are advancing age and a family history of ovarian and breast cancer.2 Genetic risk factors include mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes (21% of patients).5

In addition, a high number of ovulations over the course of life (early first period, late menopause, childlessness) appears to increase the risk. Excessive obesity and diabetes also increase the likelihood of developing ovarian cancer.6

Mortality

Worldwide, there were more than 200,000 deaths from ovarian cancer in 20227

Switzerland

Ovarian cancer is the sixth most common cause of death due to cancer in women in Switzerland6

Poor prognosis

Over 75% of affected women are only diagnosed at an advanced stage2

Symptoms

Ovarian cancer is often only diagnosed at an advanced stage because there are no clear alarming symptoms.8

Possible symptoms include:8

  • Pain in the abdomen or pelvic area (39.5%)
  • Increase in abdominal girth (39.2%)
  • Change in bowel activity (20.0%)
  • Loss of appetite/feeling of fullness (14.6%)
  • Weight loss (11.7%)
  • Cell mass that the woman can feel (7.8%)
  • Respiratory symptoms (7.7%)
  • Vaginal bleeding (7.7%)
  • Micturition frequency (6.8%)
  • Nausea (5.9%)

There is no effective screening test, so the most important prospect for early diagnosis is improved detection of symptomatic cancer.3

Diagnosis

If an ovarian mass is suspected, a gynaecological examination and transvaginal ultrasound are performed.2

Reversible functional cysts often occur during premenopause. Surgical exploration is required if the findings persist. The risk of ovarian cancer is significantly increased during postmenopause.9

Further diagnostics include imaging procedures, usually computed tomography, to determine the extent of the tumour. The definitive diagnosis is basically made histologically, usually as part of the primary surgical treatment.9

At diagnosis, a test for BRCA mutations is recommended regardless of the stage.9

The stage of ovarian cancer determines treatment and is also the most important prognostic factor.10 The stage is determined by surgery, through which the ovaries and other gynecological organs, as well as lymph nodes and other tissues to which the cancer may have spread, can be examined and removed.10

Treatment

The treatment of ovarian cancer usually consists of surgery, possibly followed by adjuvant chemotherapy and maintenance therapy.9 In patients with a high perioperative risk and a low probability of achieving good cytoreduction, neoadjuvant chemotherapy may be considered.9

Maintenance therapy may include the following:9

  • Anti-angiogenesis inhibitors
  • Poly (ADP)-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors

References:

  1. Ovarian Cancer, last revised in 2024. Available online at: https://www.mdanderson.org/cancer-types/ovarian-cancer.html. Last accessed on: 06/06/2024.
  2. Doubeni CA, et al. Diagnosis and Management of Ovarian Cancer. Am Farn Physician. 2016 Jun 1;93(11):937-44.
  3. Gajjar K, et al. Symptoms and risk factors of ovarian cancer: a survey in primary care. ISRN Obstet Gynecol. 2012;2012:754197.
  4. Cancer in Switzerland: key figures; Swiss Cancer League, last revised in November 2025. Available online at: https://www.krebsliga.ch/ueber-krebs/zahlen-fakten/-dl-/fileadmin/downloads/sheets/zahlen-krebs-in-der-schweiz.pdf. Last accessed on: 29.05.2026.
  5. Harter P, et al. Prevalence of deleterious germline variants in risk genes including BRCA1/2 in consecutive ovarian cancer patients (AGO-TR-1). PLoS One. 2017;12(10):e0186043.
  6. Swiss Cancer Report 2021, Federal Office of Public Health, published on 14/10/2021, last updated on: 31/05/2022. Available online at: https://www.bfs.admin.ch/asset/de/19305696. Last accessed on: 29.05.2026.
  7. Bray F, et al. Global cancer statistics 2022: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. CA Cancer J Clin. 2024 Apr 4.
  8. Dilley J, et al. Ovarian cancer symptoms, routes to diagnosis and survival - Population cohort study in the 'no screen' arm of the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening (UKCTOCS). Gynecol Oncol. 2020 Aug;158(2):316-322.
  9. NCCN Guidelines for Patients, last revised in 2025. Available online at: https://www.nccn.org/patients/guidelines/content/PDF/ovarian-patient.pdf. Last accessed: 29.05.2026.
  10. O'Shea AS. Clinical Staging of Ovarian Cancer. Methods Mol Biol. 2022;2424:3-10.

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CH-12868 Revision date 06/2026

This website is intended for healthcare professionals in Switzerland only.