Ovariancancer(OC)istheseventhmostcommonlydiagnosedcanceramongwomenintheworldandthetenthmostcommoninChina.EpithelialOCisthemostpredominantpathologicsubtype,withfivemajorhistotypesthatdifferinorigination,pathogenesis,molecularalterations,riskfactors,andprognosis.Geneticsusceptibilityismanifestedbyrareinheritedmutationswithhightomoderatepenetrance.Genome-wideassociationstudieshaveadditionallyidentified29commonsusceptibilityallelesforOC,including14subtype-specificalleles.Severalreproductiveandhormonalfactorsmaylowerrisk,includingparity,oralcontraceptiveuse,andlactation,whileotherssuchasolderageatmenopauseandhormonereplacementtherapyconferincreasedrisks.Theseassociationsdifferbyhistotype,especiallyformucinousOC,likelyreflectingdifferencesinetiology.EndometrioidandclearcellOCshareasimilar,uniquepatternofassociationswithincreasedrisksamongwomenwithendometriosisanddecreasedrisksassociatedwithtuballigation.OCrisksassociatedwithothergynecologicalconditionsandprocedures,suchashysterectomy,pelvicinflammatorydisease,andpolycysticovariansyndrome,arelessclear.Otherpossibleriskfactorsincludeenvironmentalandlifestylefactorssuchasasbestosandtalcpowderexposures,andcigarettesmoking.Theepidemiologyprovidescluesonetiology,primaryprevention,earlydetection,andpossiblyeventherapeuticstrategies.
