Ovarian Cancer: What you need to know
1 in 78 women will develop ovarian cancer in their lifetime. Ovarian Cancer is the 5th leading cause of cancer death in women.
Ovarian Cancer is cancer of the ovaries. Just a quick reminder, ovaries are 2 small organs near the uterus that are responsible for storing eggs and producing estrogen and progesterone.
Who is at risk?
All Women: Risk increasing with age
Strong Family History: Women with a mother, sister, grandmother or aunt who has had Ovarian Cancer have a higher risk
Genetic Mutations: There are known inherited genetic mutations that increase risk. Breast Cancer gene 1 (BRCA1) and Breast Cancer gene 2 (BRCA@) increase risk. Lynch syndrome and Peutz-Jeghers syndrome increase risk.
Women with BRCA1 gene mutation have a 35-70% higher risk
Women with BRCA2 gene mutation have a 10-30% higher risk
Personal history of breast, colorectal or endometrial cancer: Women who have been diagnosed with these cancers have a higher risk of ovarian cancer.
What may lower my risk of Ovarian Cancer?
Having Children: Having a child before age 30, having multiple children, and breastfeeding all reduce the risk of developing Ovarian Cancer.
Birth Control: Using oral contraceptive pills (OCP) for 3 months or longer. The risk is lower the longer OCP are taken.
Gyn Surgery: A tubal ligation and removing uterus +/- removing ovaries reduces risk of developing ovarian cancer.
What are the signs and symptoms of Ovarian Cancer?
Abdominal Bloating
Pelvic or abdominal pain
Feeling full quickly or difficulty eating
A frequent need to urinate
Weight loss
Changes in bowel habits, like constipation
Fatigue
Back pain
Pain during sex
All these symptoms can be common in women and not be cancer! Many of these symptoms are vague or silent. Due to this, Ovarian Cancer is often called the “Silent Killer”. Only 15% of Ovarian Cancer cases are detected early.
So persistence of symptoms is key! If the above symptoms last for 2 weeks or more and do not resolve with interventions (rest, exercise, laxatives, diet change) than see your healthcare provider.
What are the treatment options?
Ovarian Cancer is the 5th leading cause of cancer death for adult women. If caught in the early stages and treated, there is over a 90% cure rate. However, due to the vague and “silent” symptoms and lack of a screening test for ovarian cancer only about 20% of ovarian cancer is detected in the early stages.
Treatment is essential to cure and if a cure is not possible, treatment can help gain control of the disease and improve the quality of life for patients.
Surgery :: Usually the first step is to remove the cancer by surgery, best by a gynecologic oncologist.
Chemotherapy :: Chemotherapy is used to cure the cancer, shrink tumors before surgery or radiation, kill cells that may have spread, or control tumor growth.
Targeted Therapy :: These are drugs that target the cancer cells and cause less damage to normal cells. These medications work differently than chemotherapy but are not without side effects. This is a fast growing research field in cancer care.
Hormonal Therapy :: These drugs are not used in all ovarian cancer but can be important for some types. They block hormones or use hormones to fight cancer.
Radiation :: Includes brachytherapy (which is internal radiation.) Radiation uses x-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors.
Complementary Treatment :: Many Ovarian Cancer patients seek out complementary care along with conventional care.
Clinical Trials :: Clinical trials are research studies that look to move forward cancer care. This can offer new types of medications to patients that are not yet approved by the FDA.
What are ways to support Ovarian Cancer survivors?
There are many resources available to support Ovarian Cancer survivors. We have created a list of our some of our favorites. We chose these sites for their ease of use and up-to-date info. That is exactly the criteria Field Guides to Cancer Care strives for.
National Ovarian Cancer Coalition www.ovarian.org
This is a key site and starting point for Ovarian Cancer Information. Full of succinct info form diagnosis to treatment to survivors to community action. It is thorough and reliable.
Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance www.ocrahope.org
This site has a special emphasis on advocacy and research. Their recent quiz for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month is powerful.
Cancer Care www.cancercare.org
Fantastic Site! Definitely one of our favorite websites with information on many different types of cancer, including ovarian cancer.
Gilda’s Club was developed after Gilda Radnor died of ovarian cancer. Her husband, Gene Wilder, Joanna Bull (Gilda’s therapist) and movie critic, Joel Seigel co-founded the first Gilda’s Club in NYC. Gilda’s Club merged with The Wellness Community and formed the Cancer Support Community. Some center’s still retain the prior names. These centers are now all over the U.S. All the centers support people with cancer and their families with support groups, activities, classes, social events, and much more - all free of charge.
And, of course, our very own Field Guide to Symptom Management and Field Guide to Nutrition during Chemotherapy are designed to support Ovarian Cancer patients as they undergo chemo. Check those out www.fieldguidestocancercare.com under the Field Guide tab.