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Maintain Your Gynecologic Health with Education and Early Detection
Ovarian CancerWhat is ovarian cancer?The most serious of the gynecologic malignancies, ovarian cancers usually arise on the surface of the ovary, not where the eggs are found or where the female hormones are produced. When this happens, the ovaries frequently enlarge. The cancer cells may fall off of the ovary's surface and implant throughout the abdominal cavity. Each one of these seedlings can then grow into a separate ovarian cancer tumor nodule.What are the common symptoms?Although there are very few specific symptoms, the most common ones are a
pressure or fullness in the pelvis, abdominal bloating, or changes
in bowel and bladder patterns which are constant and progressive.
For women over 40, persistent digestive problems such as stomach
discomfort, distention and gas might indicate the need to be checked for ovarian cancer. Because there are no specific symptoms women do not realize they must see a doctor and are often not diagnosed until the late stages of the disease.
How is it treated?The cornerstone of therapy is surgery. Therefore, it is vitally important that a patient be operated on by the right doctor. A gynecologic oncologist has special surgical training which enables him/her to perform the appropriate and optimal surgical procedure
Furthermore, he/she understands the biology of ovarian cancer
and can appropriately address each of the metastatic sites and remove
all of the visible tumor whenever possible. For women who don't
have access to these specialists, it is important to determine
that their surgeon understands that the key to success is complete
tumor removal. After surgery, most patients receive chemotherapy
for approximately six months.
What are the risk factors?The risk of ovarian cancer increases with age, especially around the time of menopause. There has been publicity indicating that younger women get ovarian cancer, but it is most often a disease of women older than 50. A family history of ovarian cancer is one of the most important risk factors. It is important for women to find out if members of their family have been affected by cancers of the ovaries, uterus, colon, or breast because there may be a hereditary tendency linking these cancers.
The genes for ovarian cancer are not "sex linked,"
which means that familial cancer risk can be transmitted by either
the mother or the father. For example, if your father's
sister had ovarian cancer, you are at higher risk. Infertility
and not bearing children are risk factors, whereas pregnancy can
decrease the risk of developing ovarian cancer. Birth control
pills provide an incremental reduction in risk each year they
are taken. Tubal ligation has also been found to significantly
reduce the ovarian cancer risk.
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