[Ovarian cancers--a solution within reach?].

The overall 5-year survival rate for ovarian malignant tumors is approximately 25-30%. Ovarian cancer is usually recognized and diagnosed too late. Malignant ovarian tumors show a variety of biological and clinical features, as well as a wide spectrum of histiogenesis and histologic findings. The present study deals with epithelial ovarian tumors (80% of all malignant ovarian tumors): serous, mucinous, endometrioid and undifferentiated carcinoma. The incidence of malignant ovarian tumors varies between 2.5 in Japan and 15.1 in Sweden. The aim of surgical treatment lies in the radical removal of tumor masses without producing higher morbidity or mortality figures. Whenever possible the surgical treatment consists of median laparotomy, cytologic, anatomical and histologic staging, as radical as possible tumorectomy, hysterectomy with bilateral adnexectomy, omentectomy, and appendectomy. The prognosis of ovarian cancer depends on histologic findings, and also on the modalities of primary treatment. Further important prognostic factors are residual tumor masses after surgical treatment, the patient's age, the degree of differentiation and the extent of the tumor. Diagnosis, monitoring of patients and follow-up are directly influenced by dissemination of the tumor. Second-look laparotomy is the only reliable method of obtaining data in follow-up of the disease. Clinical assessment is important but insufficient in considering further treatment. Adjuvants to radical surgical treatment are chemotherapy and radiotherapy, for which the indications and therapy schedule are described.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)