Ovarian Cancer – Detection and Early Signs

It has often been called “The Silent Killer.” In the early, most manageable stages the symptoms of ovarian cancer are vague and difficult to recognize. Because many of the symptoms afflicting women at risk are commonly attributed to other ailments, many patients and physicians have trouble distinguishing between a possible sign of cancer and less-dangerous conditions. Often this overlap leads to a diagnosis in a much later stage of the condition, greatly decreasing options for treatment.  This article from cancer.org sheds some light on some possible signs patients need to be aware of.

Ovarian cancer may cause several signs and symptoms. Women are more likely to have symptoms if the disease has spread beyond the ovaries, but even early stage ovarian cancer can cause them. The most common symptoms include:

·         Bloating

·         Pelvic or abdominal pain

·         Trouble eating or feeling full quickly

·         Urinary symptoms such as urgency (always feeling like you have to go) or frequency (having to go often)

These symptoms are also commonly caused by benign (non-cancerous) diseases and by cancers of other organs. When they are caused by ovarian cancer, they tend to be persistent and represent a change from normal − for example, they occur more often or are more severe. If a woman has these symptoms almost daily for more than a few weeks, she should see her doctor, preferably a gynecologist.

Others symptoms of ovarian cancer can include:

·         Fatigue

·         Upset stomach

·         Back pain

·         Pain during sex

·         Constipation

·         Menstrual changes

·         Abdominal swelling with weight loss

However, these symptoms are more likely to be caused by other conditions, and most of them occur just about as often in women who don’t have ovarian cancer.

Physical exam

Your doctor will first take your history and do a physical exam to look for signs of ovarian cancer. These include finding an enlarged ovary (on a pelvic exam) and signs of fluid in the abdomen (which is called ascites).

If there is reason to suspect you have ovarian cancer based on your symptoms and/or physical exam, your doctor will order some tests to check further.

Consultation with a specialist

If your pelvic exam or other tests suggest that you have ovarian cancer, you will need a doctor or surgeon who specializes in treating women with this type of cancer. A gynecologic oncologist is an obstetrician/gynecologist who is specially trained in treating cancers of the female reproductive system. Treatment by a gynecologic oncologist helps ensure that you get the best kind of surgery for your cancer. It has also has been shown to help patients with ovarian cancer live longer. Anyone suspected of having ovarian cancer should see this type of specialist prior to surgery.

Though the warning signs of ovarian cancer may not be readily apparent, having a good idea of what signals to look out for will greatly increase your chances for early detection. If you experience any of the above symptoms for longer than two weeks, talk to you doctor.

Vitamin C helps destroy ovarian cancer cells and alleviate chemotherapy symptoms

If you find out you have the BRCA gene, do not think that surgery is your only option.  There are many ways to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer.  Research has found that breast feeding, birth control pills, and having fallopian tubes tied all may help reduce the risk of ovarian cancer.  Learn more in the article below and always remember to talk with your doctor before making any decisions.  You can learn more here.

Breast-feeding, birth control pills and having fallopian tubes tied may help reduce ovarian cancer risk in women with BRCA gene mutations, a new review suggests.

Women with BRCA gene mutations are at increased risk for breast and ovarian cancers. These findings suggest ways that women with these inherited mutations can reduce their ovarian cancer risk without having their ovaries surgically removed, the University of Pennsylvania researchers said.

“Patients deserve better cancer-risk reduction options than surgically removing their healthy breasts and ovaries,” review co-author Dr. Susan Domchek, executive director of the Basser Research Center for BRCA at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center, said in a university news release.

Domchek and her colleagues reviewed 44 studies and found that breast-feeding and tubal ligation were associated with lower rates of ovarian cancer in women with a BRCA1 mutation, while the use of birth control pills was associated with a reduced risk of ovarian cancer in women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations.

The researchers also identified factors that may increase the risk of cancer in women with BRCA mutations. For example, smoking may heighten the risk of breast cancer in women with a BRCA 2 mutation.

The findings are to be published in the June issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

“Our analysis reveals that heredity is not destiny, and that working with their physicians and counselors, women with BRCA mutations can take proactive steps that may reduce their risk of being diagnosed with ovarian cancer,” lead author Timothy Rebbeck, professor of epidemiology and cancer epidemiology and risk reduction program leader at the Abramson Cancer Center, said in the news release.

“The results of the analysis show that there is already sufficient information indicating how some variables might affect the risk of cancer for these patients,” he added.

About 39 percent of women with a harmful BRCA1 mutation and up to 17 percent of those with a harmful BRCA2 mutation will develop ovarian cancer by age 70, compared with 1.4 percent of women in the general population.

Between 55 percent and 65 percent of women with a harmful BRCA1 mutation and 45 percent of women with a harmful BRCA2 mutation will develop breast cancer by age 70, compared with about 12 percent of women in the general population.

Both BRCA mutations have also been linked with increased risk for several other types of cancer, according to the researchers.

“It’s imperative that we continue examining and building upon past research in this area so that we can provide BRCA mutation carriers with options at every age, and at every stage of their lives,” Domchek noted.