What Is Ovarian Cancer

What Is Ovarian Cancer 2

What Is Ovarian Cancer 4

What Is Ovarian Cancer 5

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      What is ovarian cancer?

Ovarian cancer happens when cells that are not normal grow in one or both of your ovaries . This topic is about epithelial ovarian cancer, the most common type.

This cancer is often cured when it is caught early. But most of the time, the cancer has already spread by the time it is found.

It is frightening to hear that you or someone you love may have ovarian cancer. It may help to talk with your doctor or join a support group to deal with your feelings.

What causes ovarian cancer?

We do not know what causes it. Some women who have it also have a family history of cancer. But most do not.
Some women are more likely than others to get this rare cancer. They include women who are past menopause, who have never been pregnant, or who have never used birth control hormones.

What are the symptoms?

Ovarian cancer does not usually cause symptoms at first. But most women do have some symptoms in the 6 to 12 months before ovarian cancer is found. The most common symptoms are pain or swelling in the belly and gas. Other symptoms are diarrhea or constipation, or an upset stomach.

But these symptoms are so general that they are more likely to be blamed on a number of other causes. Most of the time, the cancer has already spread by the time it is found.

How is ovarian cancer diagnosed?

Sometimes the doctor may feel a lump in or on an ovary during a routine pelvic exam. Often a lump may be seen during an ultrasound. Most lumps are not cancer.
The only way to know for sure that a woman has ovarian cancer is with biopsies taken during surgery. The doctor makes an incision in the belly so that he or she can look inside. The doctor will remove bits of any tumors that are found and send them to a lab to confirm that they contain cancer.

There is a blood test called CA-125 (cancer antigen 125) that is sometimes done in women at high risk, but so far there is not enough proof to show that this test works to find ovarian cancer early in most women. Too much CA-125 in the blood can be caused by many things, like the menstrual cycle, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, as well as many types of cancer.

How is it treated?

Surgery is the main treatment. The doctor will remove any tumors that he or she can see. This usually means taking out one or both ovaries. It may also mean taking out the fallopian tubes and uterus. After surgery, most women have several months of chemotherapy, which means taking drugs that kill cancer cells.

This cancer often comes back after treatment. So you will need regular checkups for the rest of your life. If your cancer does come back, treatment may help you feel better and live longer.

Ovarian cancer is very serious, but many women do survive it. It depends on your age and overall health, how far the cancer has spread, and how much cancer is left behind during surgery.

It may help to talk to other women who are going through the same thing. People who take part in support groups usually feel better, sleep better, and feel more like eating. Your doctor or your local branch of the American Cancer Society can help you find a support group. You can also look on the Internet to find support sites where women with this cancer can talk to each other.

What are my chances of getting ovarian cancer?

This cancer most often affects women who are past menopause. Women are more likely to get ovarian cancer if others in their family have had it. They are more likely to get it if they have had breast cancer.

You may also be more likely to get this cancer if:

• You never had a baby.

• You started your menstrual cycles before age 12 and went through menopause after age 50.

• You are unable to become pregnant.

• You have used hormone replacement therapy for menopause symptoms

Exams and Tests

There are no reliable screening tests for ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer is confirmed and staged by biopsies that are taken during laparotomy surgery.

Some initial exams and tests are done before surgery if ovarian cancer is suspected. These tests include:

• Your medical history to check what symptoms you have and what your chance of developing ovarian cancer is.

• A physical exam, including a pelvic exam and Pap test. An ovarian lump may be felt during a pelvic exam. A bimanual rectovaginal exam may also be done to feel the pelvic organs.

• A complete blood count (CBC) to check for anemia and other abnormal blood values.

• A chemistry screen to check for liver and kidney problems.

• A human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) level may be done to rule out pregnancy or an ectopic pregnancy.

• A cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) level to measure a protein found on the surface of many ovarian cancer cells.

• A pelvic and transvaginal ultrasound to look for an ovarian lump.

Exams and Tests

Additional tests may be done before surgery to determine if other areas of the body are involved. These tests include:

• A pelvic or abdominal CT scan or MRI to check for the spread of cancer.

• A chest X-ray to check for the spread of cancer.

Early Detection

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) does not recommend having a CA-125 blood test or a transvaginal ultrasound to find ovarian cancer early.10 Currently, there are no reliable screening tests for ovarian cancer, but studies on genetic testing are ongoing.

Treatment Overview

The choice of treatment and the long-term outcome (prognosis) for women who have ovarian cancer depends on the type and stage of cancer. Your age, overall health, quality of life, and desire to have children (preserve fertility) must also be considered.

• Surgery is done to confirm and treat cancer. Removal of all cancerous tissue and taking biopsies to check for the spread of cancer (surgical staging) is important for diagnosis and treatment because the amount of cancer remaining (residual cancer) after the initial surgery may affect your outcome.

• Chemotherapy, which uses medicines to kill cancer cells, is recommended after surgery for most stages of ovarian cancer. Recent studies show that the addition of chemotherapy after surgery improves the outcome for some early-stage ovarian cancer.11 Chemotherapy is also recommended for all other stages of ovarian cancer.

http://www.webmd.com/hw/
ovarian_cancer/tw9688.asp