Ovarian Cancer: The Silent Killer

 

Why is ovarian cancer a "silent" killer?

 

Ovarian cancer is often called the "silent" killer because many times there are no symptoms until the disease has progressed to an advanced stage. One-third of American women will get some form of cancer in their lifetime and approximately one and one half percent of those cases will be cancer involving one or both ovaries.

Early symptoms of ovarian cancer are often mild, making this disease difficult to detect. Some early symptoms may include:

 

- An unusual feeling of fullness or discomfort in the pelvic region

- Unexplainable indigestion, gas, or bloating that is not relieved with over-the-counter antacids

- Pain during sexual intercourse

- Abnormal bleeding

- Swelling and pain of the abdomen

Most often these symptoms do not indicate ovarian cancer

Early detection of ovarian cancer offers a 90 percent cure rate. Sadly, a lack of symptoms from this silent disease means that about 75 percent of ovarian cancer cases will have spread to the abdomen by the time they are detected and, unfortunately, most patients die within five years.  

 

Diagnosis:

 

Symptom less ovarian cancer is most often detected during a woman's regular gynecological examination. Your physician will palpitate your ovaries during your pelvic and rectal exam for the presence of ovarian cysts or fibroid tumors. If any abnormalities are noted, he will follow up with further testing which may include an ultrasound and chest X-ray. If further testing is required, a laparoscopy may be performed.

New methods for early screening of ovarian cancer are being investigated including ultrasound in conjunction with a blood test. The blood test may detect an antigen called CA 125 which has been detected in the blood of women with ovarian cancer.

These tests are useful in evaluating tumor growth, however neither of them has been proven as a reliable way to screen for ovarian cancer. Ultrasound can detect changes, but it does not give enough information alone to diagnose ovarian cancer. The CA 125 blood test can return positive results when no cancer is present due to other conditions a woman may experience including fibroid tumors, endometriosis, pelvic infection, pregnancy, or other non-gynecological problems.

Although these methods of screening for ovarian cancer look promising, further study is needed before either of these tests are routinely used to screen for ovarian cancer.

 

Treatments and Risk Factors

 

The treatment for ovarian cancer varies according to a number of factors. For most women the first treatment is also a diagnostic procedure which involves surgery to determine the extent to which the disease has spread. As a result of surgery, the cancer will be staged.

Stages range from I to IV, with I being the earliest and IV being the most advanced stage. Treatment of ovarian cancer is based on the stage and grade of the disease. A pathologist will determine the grade (how likely it is to spread) of the malignancy.

Hysterectomy with salpingo- oophorectomy (removal the fallopian tubes and one or both ovaries) will most often follow a diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Young women who still desire children and who have certain types of early ovarian cancer confined to one ovary may be able to have only the diseased ovary removed.