One in 57 women will get ovarian cancer, and it usually happens in women over the age of 50. It is 50% more prevalent in white women. The adjusted mortality rate is highest among white women followed by Hawaiian women, and lastly black women.
Why is ovarian cancer so deadly?
Due to it's position in the abdominal cavity, early detection is difficult, showing no or mild symptoms until it is at an advanced stage where the 5 year survival rate can be as low as 11 percent. Early detection could mean a 5 year survival rate as high as 92 percent.
What are the risk factors for ovarian cancer?
According to The Johns Hopkins University, ovarian cancer occurs more frequently with the following:
1. History of ovarian cancer in your immediate family
2. Age over 50
3. Fertility drug use
4. High fat diet
5. White race
6. Never having children
7. Hormone replacement therapy
8. History of breast cancer diagnosed before age 50
9. Being of Ashkenazi Jewish descent
Having immediate family members who have had ovarian cancer raises your risk of having ovarian cancer in your 40's rather than your 50's.
What are the symptoms of ovarian cancer?
It can present with nonspecific symptoms, meaning the same symptoms caused by many other conditions. However, certain symptoms are seen more frequently among women with ovarian cancer:
1. Bloating
2. Pelvic or abdominal pain
3. Difficulty eating, feeling full quickly
4. Vaginal bleeding
5. Urinary urgency or frequency
These symptoms tend to be persistent, and occur daily for 2-3 weeks and require a doctor's evaluation if they last that long. Other less specific symptoms include:
1. Fatigue
2. Indigestion
3. Back pain
4. Painful intercourse
5. Constipation
6. Menstrual irregularities.
How is a person screened for ovarian cancer?
1. Pelvic examination and Pap smear
2. Transvaginal ultrasound
3. Testing for the protein CA-125, elevated in 80% of women with ovarian cancer
4. Culdocentesis- a sampling of pelvic fluid found in a "cul de sac" between the uterus and the rectum.
Don't be alarmed if your doctor says you don't need the CA-125 test or an ultrasound to detect ovarian cancer early. According to the U.S. Preventive Services Taskforce, it is meant for women who have inherited a BRCA (breast cancer) gene change and who still have their ovaries. They get tested annually starting at age 35.
Once ovarian cancer is diagnosed, you have 3 treatment options. The first is surgical removal of the ovaries. The second is chemotherapy, and the third is radiation. The form of treatment is based on the stage of the cancer, the type of cancer cells present, and the patient's age and physical condition.
Can certain things be protective against ovarian cancer?
The Johns Hopkins University says there are no simple preventive measures to take that significantly reduce one's risk of ovarian cancer. However, it is said that the following are associated with a lower risk of cancer:
2. Hysterectomy
3. Birth control pills
4. Tubal Ligation
What can you do to protect yourself?
1. Get regular pelvic exams
2. Know your family history
3. Reduce the amount of fat in your diet.
The National Cancer Institute advises increasing one's fruit, vegetable, and whole grain intake, lowering fat consumption to <30% of calories, maintaining a healthy weight, minimizing one's intake of cured, pickled, and smoked foods, and only drinking alcohol in moderation if at all.
So many conditions, and ER visits, can be prevented by following this advice.
Be safe, be successful,
Rapp, M.D.
This no. spreading lots of fear
ReplyDeleteelizabeth arden