Even though ovarian cancer diagnoses are fairly rare, affecting about 20,000 women per year, the death toll is so high that it’s the fifth-leading cause of cancer death for women each year. One way to help improve survival rates is to know the symptoms and stages of ovarian cancer, since it may help you recognize symptoms sooner. A new article in the Lompoc Record explores the stages of ovarian cancer and how the disease progresses:
“Other than a family history of ovarian and breast cancer, little else is conclusively known about what increases a woman’s risk of developing the disease.
Most women present between the ages of 40 and 65. The most common complaints are vague abdominal pain, abdominal distension or bowel changes. However, frequent symptoms are mild and vague which, unfortunately, results in the majority of patients (75-80 percent) presenting with advanced stage disease (usually stage III or IV disease).
A basic look at the stating system is as follows:
Stage I = Tumor limited to one ovary;
Stage II =Tumor involving both ovaries (or one ovary with extension of tumor to the pelvic wall);
Stage III = Disease spread to other areas of the abdomen and pelvis;
Stage IV = Disease involving liver or organs outside of the abdomen and pelvis.
The diagnosis is usually made by a combination of physical exam, ultrasounds, CT scans and blood tests.
Treatment consists of surgery performed by a gynecological oncologist (a surgeon specializing in gynecological cancers), usually followed by four to six months of chemotherapy. Occasionally, patients found with very early disease can be treated by surgery alone.
Despite patients usually presenting with advanced disease, if they undergo aggressive surgery where the cancer is completely (or nearly completely) excised, and undergo chemotherapy thereafter, cure rates can still be in the range of 25-30 percent. A significant percentage of women will develop recurrence of their disease months to years later. There are now several options for further treatment, and remissions can be achieved; however, once the disease recurs, it is generally not curable, although many patients live for years.”
Learn more by reading the original article here: http://bit.ly/18xNaS2
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