Types of ovarian cancer

There are several types of epithelial cancers of the ovary.

The most common type is:

• serous.

Less common types are:

• endometrioid
• clear cell.

Rare types are:

• mucinous
• undifferentiated or unclassifiable.

They are currently all treated in a similar way although clinical trials are now being done to test different treatments for some of the rarer types of epithelial ovarian cancer.

Less common types of ovarian cancer

There are also other rare types of cancer that affect the ovaries. These include germ cell tumours (ovarian teratomas)| and sarcomas|. Germ cell tumours tend to affect younger women and behave very differently to other types of ovarian cancer.

This section does not cover treatment for rarer types of malignant tumours. For more information, click on the links above.

Related cancers

Primary peritoneal cancer

Primary peritoneal cancer|  (PPC) is a rare cancer that behaves much like epithelial ovarian cancer and is treated in the same way. It starts in the peritoneum, the membrane that helps protect the organs inside the abdomen such as the stomach and liver. Unlike ovarian cancer, PPC can occur in men, though this is very rare.