Etiology of cancer of the human ovary: a review
- PMID: 4612161
Etiology of cancer of the human ovary: a review
Abstract
PIP: A review of factors known or suspected of causing cancers of the human ovary revealed little specific information. The worldwide distribution of ovarian cancer, similar to that of other prevalent cancers, suggests associations with environmental carcinogens. However, few clues exist as to which suspected chemical or physical agents are actually involved. Those factors which point to a high risk for ovarian cancer have not yet been identified except for the greater risk which exists for nulliparous women, those women with breast carcinoma, and those members of the rare "ovary cancer families." Despite epidemiologic associations of cancers of the ovary and breast, a 1st pregnancy at a young age has not been shown to decrease the risk for cancer of the ovary as with cancer of the breast. Experiments testing effects of suspected ovarian carcinogens have been difficult to interpret because ovarian neoplasms induced in rodents by irradiation and chemical carcinogens are of histologic types that are either infrequent, do not occur in human ovaries, or do not metastasize. Only chickens develop significant numbers of ovarian adenocarcinomas similar in histologic appearance and behavior to the common human epithelial carcinomas, but these have not been adequately investigated.
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