ABOUT OVARIAN CANCER

 

Symptoms

 

Historically ovarian cancer was called the “silent killer” because symptoms were not thought to develop until the chance of cure was poor. However, recent studies have shown this term is untrue and that the following symptoms are much more likely to occur in women with ovarian cancer than women in the general population. These symptoms include:

•Bloating

•Pelvic or abdominal pain

•Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly

•Urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency)

​Women with ovarian cancer report that symptoms are persistent and represent a change from normal for their bodies. The frequency and/or number of such symptoms are key factors in the diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Several studies show that even early stage ovarian cancer can produce these symptoms.

Take Action

 

​Historically, physicians have utilized the CA-125 as a blood test to evaluate the likelihood of ovarian cancer in patients. The CA-125 test is not completely accurate as many noncancerous conditions can also result in increased levels of the protein. As a result, up to 50% of early stage cancers are not detected by CA-125. There are new tests that have been developed to be better than CA-125 alone at detecting all types of ovarian cancer.

​The Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) put out a statement in May 2013 that states “Blood levels of five proteins in women with a known ovarian mass have been reported to change when ovarian cancer is present. Tests measuring these proteins may be useful in identifying women who should be referred to a gynecologic oncologist. Recent data have suggested that such tests, along with physician clinical assessment, may improve detection rates of malignancies among women with pelvic masses planning surgery.”

TREATMENT

 

The staging of ovarian cancer is divided into four stages. Decisions about treatment vary based on the stage.

The goal of surgery is to optimally remove as much of the malignant process as possible. Unless the disease is confined to the ovary, surgery usually involves removing both ovaries, the uterus, fallopian tubes and the omentum.

Surgery is typically followed by chemotherapy. During and after chemotherapy, doctors monitor a woman’s progress with pelvic exams and with the CA-125 blood test. While the CA-125 blood test is not a reliable screening tool, it does reliably indicate whether the disease is recurring in women who have already been treated.

  1. Ovarian cancer is confined to one or both ovaries.

  2. Cancer is in one or both ovaries and has spread to other parts of the pelvis.

  3. Cancer is in one or both ovaries and has spread to nearby lymph nodes or to other abdominal organs, excluding the liver.

  4. Cancer is in one or both ovaries and has spread to the liver or sites outside the abdomen.

Risk Factors

 

Like any cancer, why one woman gets ovarian cancer and another does not remains a mystery.

  • Women of any age are at risk, however risk increases with age.

  • If you have a personal or family history of ovarian, breast, colon, rectal or uterine cancer.

  • If you have not borne a child.

  • Personal history of endometriosis.

  • The most significant risk factor for ovarian cancer is an inherited genetic mutation in one of two genes: breast cancer gene 1 (BRCA1) or breast cancer gene 2 (BRCA2). These genes are responsible for about 10 to 15 percent of all ovarian cancers.

​Eastern European women and women of Ashkenazi Jewish descent are at a higher risk of carrying these mutations.

The overwhelming majority of women who get ovarian cancer have no known risk factors.