Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian Cancer is a disease produced by the rapid growth and division
of cells within one or both ovaries-reproductive glands in which the
ova, or eggs, and the female sex hormones are made. The ovaries contain
cells that, under normal circumstances, reproduce to maintain tissue
health. When growth control is lost and cells divide too much and
too fast, a cellular mass-or tumor-is formed. If the tumor is confined
to a few cell layers, for example, surface cells, and it does not
invade surrounding tissues or organs, it is considered benign. If
the tumor spreads to surrounding tissues or organs, it is considered
malignant, or cancerous. When cancerous cells break away from the
original tumor, travel through the blood or lymphatic vessels, and
grow within other parts of the body, the process is known as metastasis.
Signs and Symptoms
The most common sign is enlargement of the abdomen, which is caused
by the accumulation of fluid. Abnormal vaginal bleeding is rarely
a symptom. In women over 40, vague digestive disturbances (stomach
discomfort, gas, and distention) that persist and cannot be explained
by any other cause may indicate the need for an evaluation for ovarian
cancer, including a thorough pelvic exam.
Treatment
Ovarian cancer is very treatable when it is detected early, but
the vast majority of cases are not diagnosed until it is too late.
Treatment options are: surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
Surgery usually includes the removal of the uterus (hysterectomy),
and one or both ovaries and the fallopian tubes (salpingo-oophorectomy).
In some very early tumors, only the involved ovary will be removed,
especially in young women who wish to have children. In advanced disease,
an attempt is made to remove all intra-abdominal disease to enhance
the effect of chemotherapy.
Activity
Be as active as your health permits!
Survival
In cases where ovarian cancer is detected before it has spread beyond
the ovaries, 95% of women will survive longer than five years. Only
25% of ovarian cancer cases in the U.S. are diagnosed in the beginning
stages. When diagnosed in advanced stages, the chance of five-year
survival is only 28%. Ovarian cancer may be difficult to diagnose
because symptoms are easily confused with other diseases, and because
there is no reliable, simple to administer screening tool.
New Cases
It is estimated that approximately 30,000 new cases of ovarian cancer
will be diagnosed this year, with 15,000 women dying from the disease.
Nearly 2% of women born in the United States are at risk of developing
ovarian cancer in their lifetimes. Ovarian cancer most frequently
appears in women who are older than 60 (about 50% of patients are
over 65), although it may occur in younger women who have a family
history of the disease.
Funding
Although one-third as many women die of ovarian cancer as die of
breast cancer, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) is spending only
one-seventh as much money for ovarian cancer as for breast cancer
research this year. In 2002, the American Cancer Society advocated
funding increases for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC). In those funding increases, $192.6 million was allocated for
the Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, compared to
only $4.6 million for the Ovarian Cancer Awareness program. Yet, ovarian
cancer is responsible for 5% of all cancer deaths among women.
