Tammy Stinson Pajeau, MS

Epithelial ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic malignancies. In 1996, an estimated 26,000 new cases were diagnosed, and approximately 14,000 women died of this disease in the United States alone.[1] Between 75% and 80% of ovarian cancer patients present with advanced disease at diagnosis, and these patients have a 5-year survival rate of 21%.[2,3]

In most developed nations, cancer is second only to heart disease as a cause of death; in less developed countries, it is second to infectious disease. It is estimated that if the current trends of rising worldwide incidence continue, cancer will become the leading cause of death in the 21st century. This is particularly troubling since many of the factors contributing to cancer (eg, occupation, diet, lifestyle, and tobacco use) are known.