OVARIAN CANCER

About 1 in every 57 women in the United States will develop ovarian cancer. Most cases occur in women over the age of 50, but this disease can also affect younger women. The sooner ovarian cancer is found and treated, the better a woman's chance for recovery.

What is the cause of Ovarian Cancer?

The exact causes of ovarian cancer are not known. However, studies show that the following factors may increase the chance of developing this disease:

• Family history - First-degree relatives (mother, daughter, sister) of a woman who has had ovarian cancer are at increased risk of developing this type of cancer themselves.
• Age - The likelihood of developing ovarian cancer increases as a woman gets older. Most ovarian cancers occur in women over the age of 50, with the highest risk in women over 60.
• Childbearing - Women who have never had children are more likely to develop ovarian cancer than women who have had children. In fact, the more children a woman has had, the less likely she is to develop ovarian cancer.
• Personal history - Women who have had breast or colon cancer may have a greater chance of developing ovarian cancer than women who have not had breast or colon cancer.
• Fertility drugs - Drugs that cause a woman to ovulate may slightly increase a woman's chance of developing ovarian cancer. Researchers are studying this possible association.
• Talc - Some studies suggest that women who have used talc in the genital area for many years may be at increased risk of developing ovarian cancer.
• Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) - Some evidence suggests that women who use HRT after menopause may have a slightly increased risk of developing ovarian cancer.

What are the Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer?

Ovarian Cancer Signs & Symptoms are not vague.  They are non-specific, which means they can be associated with other illnesses.  What is important to remember, is that with ovarian cancer instead of fluctuating, they are persistent and often worsen. 

Ovarian cancer often shows no obvious signs or symptoms until late in its development.

Signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer may include:

• Abdominal pressure, discomfort or pain
• Persistent indigestion, gas or nausea
• Feeling full even after a light meal
• Unexplained changes in bowel habits, including diarrhea, constipation
• Abdominal swelling, bloating, clothes can feel tight
• Changes in urinating – frequency, urgency
• Loss of appetite
• Unexplained weight loss or gain
• Pain during intercourse

Less Common Symptoms:

• Persistent lack of energy
• Low back pain

(Source-  Mayo Clinic Guide to Women’s Cancers (2005), Barbara Goff, MD/Women with Ovarian Cancer (2000)

Ovarian cancer is hard to detect early. Many times, women with ovarian cancer have no symptoms or just mild symptoms until the disease is in an advanced stage. Scientists are studying ways to detect ovarian cancer before symptoms develop. They are exploring the usefulness of measuring the level of CA 125, a substance called a tumor marker, which is often found in higher-than-normal amounts in the blood of women with ovarian cancer. They also are evaluating transvaginal ultrasound, a test that may help detect the disease early.

If you know or suspect there is a family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer, it is wise to see a gynecologist with highly specialized training with regard to cancer  -   Gynecologic oncologist.

Should you be diagnosed with ovarian cancer, your chance for best removal of the cancer will be having a gynecologic oncology surgeon performing your surgery.

What is the Treatment for Ovarian Cancer?

Patients are often treated by a team of specialists. The team may include a gynecologist, a gynecologic oncologist, a medical oncologist, and/or a radiation oncologist. Many different treatments and combinations of treatments are used to treat ovarian cancer.

Surgery is the usual initial treatment for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The ovaries, the fallopian tubes, the uterus, and the cervix are usually removed. This operation is called a hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Often, the surgeon also removes the omentum (the thin tissue covering the stomach and large intestine) and lymph nodes (small organs located along the channels of the lymphatic system) in the abdomen.

Staging during surgery (to find out whether the cancer has spread) generally involves removing lymph nodes, samples of tissue from the diaphragm and other organs in the abdomen, and fluid from the abdomen. If the cancer has spread, the surgeon usually removes as much of the cancer as possible in a procedure called tumor debulking. Tumor debulking reduces the amount of cancer that will have to be treated later with chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Clinical trials (research studies) to evaluate new ways to treat cancer are an important treatment option for many women with ovarian cancer.

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