The Warnings I Almost Didn't Heed Ovarian cancer's statistics are stark: in the United States alone, more than 21,000 women will be diagnosed with the disease this year, and over 12,450 will succumb to it.
The five year relative survival rate is a dismal 50 percent – far lower than prostate and breast cancer patients enjoy. A critical factor contributing to ovarian cancer's poor prognosis is its late diagnosis.
Nearly 80 percent of cases are discovered at Stage 3 or 4, meaning the cancer has spread beyond the ovaries and metastasized to distant locations.