What is ovarian cancer?

Ovarian cancer is a malignant tumor that develops in the cells of the organ that produces eggs and female hormones. Every year it affects more than 5,000 women in France, aged around 65 years. 90% of these are epithelial ovarian cancers, two thirds of which are high-grade serous carcinomas. There are also rarer subtypes of ovarian cancer, such as endometrioid cancers or clear cell cancers, which are the focus areas of Institut Curie's dedicated efforts.

The institute is actively involved in a national database, called TMRG (Gynecological Rare Malignant Tumors), which compiles data on patients with rare ovarian cancers, collected as part of multidisciplinary consultation meetings to help pinpoint the diagnosis and assist patient management. Expert pathologists from the PATHGYN network at Institut Curie review cases from the TMRG database. Several members of the gynecology committee at Institut Curie actively participate in the monthly multidisciplinary meetings of the TMRG group.

Risk factors

There are various risk factors for ovarian cancer - age and nulliparity (absence of pregnancy) being the main ones. In 10 to 15% of cases, this cancer occurs due to genetic predispositions. Women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene alteration, or those affected by Lynch syndrome (alteration on the gene MSH1, MSH6, MLH1 or PMS2) have a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer, and are diagnosed at a younger age, around 50. Removal of the ovaries and tubes may in this situation be recommended in order to reduce the risk of cancer occurrence. Conversely, taking estrogen-progestin contraception or tubal ligation have a protective effect.

The Institute of Women’s Cancers

 By placing women at the heart of research and innovation, the Institute of Women's Cancers is committed to lastingly reducing the incidence and mortality of these cancers, while fundamentally transforming the patient experience.

Co-founded by Institut Curie, PSL University, and Inserm, the Institute of Women's Cancers is a University Hospital Institute (IHU) and a recipient of the France 2030 excellence label.

The Institute was founded on a core conviction: that preventing, treating, and supporting patients with these cancers requires moving beyond a tumor-centered approach.

What sets it apart is a holistic, highly personalized model at the cutting edge of adaptive medicine — one that accounts for women's biological, clinical, psychological, and social trajectories throughout their disease and beyond.

Physicians, healthcare professionals, researchers, data scientists, and experts in humanities and social sciences — working hand in hand with patients themselves — are bringing their expertise together to address breast and gynecological cancers across the full continuum of care: prevention, diagnosis, treatment, follow-up, and long-term quality of life.

More information about the Institute of Women’s Cancers