Many women have growths on their ovaries. And most of them aren't cancer. The most common type of growth on your ovaries is a cyst.

Cysts are sacs filled with fluid that show up on the surface of your ovary. They aren't cancer and they often go away on their own. But if they grow very large or cause symptoms, you may need surgery to remove them.

You can get different types of cysts. The most common ones are called simple cysts or follicle cysts. They grow because of the changes in

 

 

 

 

 

hormones
Hormones are chemicals that are made in certain parts of the body. They travel through the bloodstream and have an effect on other parts of the body. For example, the female sex hormone estrogen is made in a woman's ovaries. Estrogen has many different effects on a woman's body. It makes the breasts grow at puberty and helps control periods. It is also needed to get pregnant.

 

 

 

 

 

hormone levels that are part of your normal

 

 

 

 

 

menstrual cycle
A woman's periods are part of her menstrual cycle. This is the regular monthly pattern of events that causes an egg to be released from the ovaries so a woman can get pregnant and causes the bleeding that happens if she does not get pregnant.

 

 

 

 

 

menstrual cycle.

Your doctor might find them during a

 

 

 

 

 

pelvic exam
A pelvic exam is when doctors examine the area around a woman's vagina. After looking at the outside, the doctor will insert a small piece of plastic or metal into the vagina to look at the inside. Then he or she will check the fallopian tubes, womb and ovaries.

 

 

 

 

 

pelvic exam or an

 

 

 

 

 

ultrasound
Ultrasound is a tool doctors use to create images of the inside of your body. The ultrasound machine sends out high-frequency sound waves, which are directed at an area of your body through a device such as a probe. The waves reflect off parts of your body to create a picture. Ultrasound is often used to see a developing baby inside a woman's womb.

 

 

 

 

 

ultrasound scan. Usually they don't cause any symptoms and go away on their own. But they can sometimes twist around and hurt. If this happens, you'll need surgery to remove them.

Some cysts grow out of the same cells that most ovarian cancers do (the cells on the surface of your ovaries). These are called epithelial cysts, and they can hide an ovarian cancer. To be on the safe side, doctors do surgery to remove all of these cysts.

Some cysts have a solid part. If yours do, your doctor will likely remove them and look at them under a microscope for signs of cancer. Usually there aren't any. Doctors sometimes call these benign tumors.

If you've got lots of cysts on one or both of your ovaries, you may have polycystic ovary syndrome (or PCOS for short). It's fairly common among women old enough to have children. It tends to happen when your

 

 

 

 

 

hormones
Hormones are chemicals that are made in certain parts of the body. They travel through the bloodstream and have an effect on other parts of the body. For example, the female sex hormone estrogen is made in a woman's ovaries. Estrogen has many different effects on a woman's body. It makes the breasts grow at puberty and helps control periods. It is also needed to get pregnant.

 

 

 

 

 

sex hormones are out of balance.

If you've got PCOS, you may have:

What treatment you need depends on your symptoms. For example, birth-control pills may help with acne and facial hair. If you're having a hard time getting pregnant, you may need other treatments to help with that.

For more, see our information on infertility and polycystic ovary syndrome.

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