How do you define ovarian cancer?

For the purposes of the CanRisk Tool, ovarian cancer means invasive epithelial cancer. Non-epithelial tumours (i.e. germ cell tumours) of the ovary are not associated with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations and should not be included. Borderline (low-malignancy potential) ovarian tumours are also not thought to occur at increased frequency in BRCA1 or BRCA2 carriers and should probably be excluded. However the data are uncertain on this point.

Ovarian cancer is usually taken to include cancers of the fallopian tube, which also occurs at increased frequency in BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers. It may also include primary malignancies of the peritoneum. Cancers of the uterus (body or cervix) should not be included.