Epithelial ovarian cancers (advanced stage)

Ovarian carcinoma are known to have a poor prognosis, not only because thei r diagnosis is often made in late time, but the risk of recurrence after in itial treatment is high. This overview was made to explain the different ap proaches while dealing with a patient with an ovarian carcinoma. A particul ar interest went to the familial history of ovarian cancer concerning a ver y short population, as shown in the recent data. Pronostic factors, the way of diagnosis, and the histologic classification were also explained in det ail. Ovarian cancer is more often found out at an advanced stage of the dis ease that's the reason why the treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer was e xtensively studied with the recent approaches of the new drugs;for instance , the use of combinations with taxoides in the first part of treatment, or a numerous of other agents, particularly at the time of the recurrence, lik e the camptothecines, the gemcitabine, or the new derivatives of platinum. The management of the patient after initial treatment (follow up, maintenan ce therapy) were also included in this overview. As for the "borderline" tu mors, a pecular chapter was devoted to them.