Ovarian-Cysts.com
Title
An Introduction to Ovaries and Ovarian Cysts
Description
Ovarian cancer accounts for four percent of all cancers diagnosed in women. One in seventy women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer at some time in her life, and one out of every hundred will die from it. Gynecology studies indicate that ovarian cancer causes more deaths than cervical or endometrial cancers combined. Symptoms do not appear until the disease is well advanced, which may help account for the disease's disproportionate death rate.
The ovaries are part of the female reproductive system. They are two small, almond-sized organs located in close proximity to the openings of the fallopian tubes on both sides of the uterus. The ovaries produce and store eggs. Every month, an ovary releases a mature egg. Once the egg leaves the ovary, it travels through the adjacent fallopian tube to the uterus. If fertilized, the egg attaches to the uterine lining and develops into a fetus.
Ovaries also produce the hormones estrogen and progesterone. These hormones play important roles in menstruation, pregnancy and the ovulation cycle. They are also required for the production of secondary female sex characteristics such as breasts, body shape, and body hair.
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