Ovarian cancer is the deadliest of gynecological tumors. Less than 40% of people suffering from ovarian cancer are cured, and about 12,810 people in the US die of disease every year.
Over the last 25 years, scientists have tried to identify a screening test to detect ovarian cancer in their early stages, when the possibility of treatment is more likely. Unfortunately, many clinical trials with hundreds of thousands of participants have failed to identify an effective way to screen for ovarian cancer. In fact, the US Preventive Services Task Force gave ovarian cancer a screening of DI grade to cancer, which means it recommends against periodic screening as it does not improve existence and may prove to be harmful to patients. Is.
Because no effective screening test is currently present, 70% of people with ovarian cancer are diagnosed in advanced stages, when the probability of treatment is poor. About 60% to 90% of people with stage one or two cancers who live around the ovaries and pelvis are disease-free after five years of diagnosis, while the stage three or four cancers compared to only 10% to 40% That has spread. Stomach and beyond.
But even people with advanced disease are likely to recover if full surgical removal is still possible. This makes the initial diagnosis all more important for overall survival.
Without screening tests, many physicians wrongly believe that initial diagnosis for ovarian cancer is not possible. As a gynecological oncologist, who treats hundreds of ovarian cancer patients every year, I was disappointed with these late diagnosis, and wondered if better recognition of its symptoms to doctors and patients first ovarian cancer Can help identify.
Detectable symptoms
Ovarian cancer is historically called “silent killer”, as physicians thought that its symptoms were undesirable. Patients often came to know so long that doctors thought that nothing could be done.
But there have been many studies in the last 20 years that there are early warning signs in ovarian cancer. My colleagues and I conducted one of the initial studies in 2000. Our survey of 1,700 people with ovarian cancer found that 95% of patients reported noticeable symptoms three to 12 months before the diagnosis. The most common symptoms were their pelvis and abdominal pain, frequency increased and urinating, difficulty in eating or difficulty feeling full, and swelling or stomach disturbances.
Importantly, people with both advanced and early stages reported similar types of symptoms. Post studies from several researchers further confirmed that patients with an ovarian cancer of the early stage experience persistent symptoms.
We also found that providers often described ovarian cancer as another condition wrong. When we asked the patients that their doctors told them that their symptoms were the cause of their symptoms, then 15% had attributed their symptoms to irritable bowel disease, 12% stress, 9% for gastritis, 6% constipation, 6% 6% Depression and some more reasons from 4% to 4%. Thirty percent was given treatment for a different position. And 13% was told that nothing was wrong.
A major issue is separating the symptoms of ovarian cancer from normal gastrointestinal and urinary conditions. In another study, my team and I found that patients with ovarian cancer have symptoms with recent onset and more than 50% of the month.
To facilitate early detection of ovarian cancer, my team and I compared symptoms of patients without ovarian cancer with cancer patients. We developed an index, in which six important symptoms of ovarian cancer were identified: inflammation, increased abdominal size, quickly filled, difficulty in eating, pelvic pain and abdominal pain. Symptoms need to be more than 12 times a month, but lasted for less than a year.
Depending on these criteria, our index was able to detect ovarian cancer in our study 60% to 85% of patients, which have been obtained through clinical blood tests for ovarian cancer.
Prevent ovarian cancer
While early identity is important, there are also strategies of prevention that can help reduce the risk of developing ovarian cancer.
If you have a family history of ovarian cancer, inform your doctor, who may recommend genetic testing to completely determine your risk to prevent cancer development, or to completely determine the anti -pathological surgery.
Oral contraceptives, tubal ligation (or surgery to close fallopian tubes), pregnancy and breastfeeding all reduce the risk of ovarian cancer.
Finally, up to 70% of the ovarian cancer can arise from the fallopian tube. Removing fallopian tubes during another surgery can be another option to help reduce the risk of ovarian cancer. This should be done only when you do not plan to get pregnant in future.
This article has been reinforced from the interaction, a non -profit, independent news organization, which brings you facts and reliable analysis to help you understand our complex world. It was written by: Barbara Gof, University of washington
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Barbara Goff received funding from the National Institute of Health, Teal Foundation. Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation and Miss Rivkin Foundation
