Ovarian Cancer
Quick Reference
Ovarian cancer is a malignant growth, in the form of a tumor or cyst, which develops in a woman’s ovary. Ovarian cancer is silent and deadly and has been called the “whispering disease.” Unlike breast cancer, one cannot perform a self-exam for ovarian cancer. At the present time, there is no accurate and easily administered screening tool, like a mammogram, for this type of disease.
The ovaries, which are glands located on either side of the uterus, produce hormones in all women and eggs in pre-menopausal women as well.
Ovarian cancer is the deadliest of gynecologic cancers and it is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women. One in 57 women will develop ovarian cancer in her lifetime. It is most prevalent in women over age 50.
The cause of ovarian cancer is unknown. However, you should know that certain factors may increase your susceptibility to ovarian cancer. These factors include prior incidence of breast cancer, family history of ovarian, breast or colon cancer, poor reproductive history, delay of childbirth until after 30, infertility, environmental factors such as exposure to asbestos or high level of radiation, and use of estrogen (non-contraceptive).
Detailed Information
Ovarian cancer is deadly because it is usually diagnosed after it has spread outside the ovaries. Doctors sometimes miss the diagnosis in the earlier stages of the disease because there are very few symptoms associated with ovarian cancer, and the vague few that exist can be attributed to other, less serious conditions. The result of late diagnosis is often devastating; currently 50 percent of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer die from it within five years. However, when detected at an early stage, ovarian cancer is treatable.
Symptoms of ovarian cancer include:
- lower abdominal discomfort, possibly including pain during intercourse
- vaginal bleeding
- sense of pelvic heaviness
- irregular or abnormal menstrual cycle
- weight gain or loss
- digestive problems, such as increased gas, nausea, vomiting, bloating, indigestion or lack of appetite
- increased abdominal girth
- excessive fatigue
Knowledge is the key to prevention. Although your doctor performs exams, reads results, and prescribes medication, only you know how you truly feel. Being aware of your body and its symptoms, and in turn articulating those symptoms will help you to communicate with your doctor and enable him or her to do their most important job (taking care of you) better. Don’t wait in silence for the whispering disease. Defy it with your knowledge.
If you experience one or more of the aforementioned symptoms for more than two or three weeks, contact your doctor and ask for a combination pelvic exam, rectal exam, CA 125 blood test, and a transvaginal ultrasound.
Treatment/Prevention
Treatment options for ovarian cancer are varied, depending upon how early the cancer is dated. Surgery is the primary therapy, with the goal to remove as much of the tumor as is possible. The ovaries are removed, as well as the fallopian tubes, and often the uterus, cervix and parts of the vagina. The removal of all of these organs is called a radical hysterectomy.
Secondary therapy involves chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or a combination of the two. Your doctor will determine the protocol depending upon the aggression of the cancer, and the timeliness of its detection.
Finally, clinical trials are underway to discover how Herceptin fares in treating ovarian cancer. Herceptin is a biologic therapy that has been approved for breast cancer treatment. Biologic therapies target specific malfunctions in cancer cells and corrects only these cells, as opposed to chemotherapy, which targets both healthy and malignant cells.
Last updated: 22-Sep-00
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