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Signs & Symptoms • Bloating
• Pelvic and/or abdominal pain
• Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly
• Urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency)
Several other symptoms have been commonly reported by women with ovarian cancer including fatigue, indigestion, back pain, pain with intercourse, constipation, and menstrual irregularities. These symptoms are not as useful in identifying ovarian cancer as they are also frequently found in women in the general population who do not have ovarian cancer. Risk Factors • Increasing age, with highest occurrence in women over 50
• Family or personal history of ovarian, breast, endometrial, or colon cancer
• Uninterrupted ovulation (having no pregnancies, infertility, low parity)
• Presence of gene mutations, especially BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 Prevention & Risk Reduction • Use of oral contraceptives for more than five years can reduce your risk by approximately 50%
• Multiple pregnancies, having first full-term pregnancy before the age of 25
• Breast feeding
• Hysterectomy/Tubal Ligation substantially reduces risk
• Removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes (oopherectomy) dramatically reduces the risk of ovarian cancer. Primary peritoneal cancer which is microscopically almost identical to ovarian cancer can still occur but is infrequent. What do I do if I am concerned about my risk of ovarian cancer or have symptoms that persist and are unusual for me? • Speak to your gynecologist for more information and have an examination. Be sure to discuss the possibility of ovarian cancer with your doctor. How is ovarian cancer diagnosed? • Vaginal-rectal pelvic examination (also called a bimanual exam). This exam allows the ovaries to be examined from many sides. Every woman should undergo a rectal and vaginal pelvic examination at her annual check up with her gynecologist. • Transvaginal Ultrasound. This test uses sound waves to create a picture of the ovaries, and can often reveal if there are masses or irregularities on the surface of the ovaries. It cannot determine if you have cancer but it can show characteristics that give different levels of suspicion. • CA125 blood test. This test measures the level of a substance in the blood that may increase when a cancerous tumor is present; this protein is produced by ovarian cancer cells and is elevated in more than 80% of women with advanced ovarian cancers and 50% of those with early-stage cancers. Because CA125 misses half of early cancers and can be elevated by benign conditions, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) does not endorse using it to screen women at ordinary risk or in the general population. • It is very important to note that none of these tests are definitive when used on their own. They are most effective when used in combination with each other. The only way to confirm the presence of ovarian cancer suspected by the above tests is through a surgical biopsy of the tumor tissue. • The PAP test is used to detect cervical cancer, NOT ovarian cancer.
If tests suggest the possibility of ovarian cancer, seek a referral to a gynecologic oncologist:
• A gynecologic oncologist is a professional who specializes in treating women with reproductive tract cancers. • Gynecologic oncologists are initially trained as obstetrician/gynecologists and then undergo three to four years of specialized education in all of the effective forms of treatment for gynecologic cancers (surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and experimental treatments) as well as the biology and pathology of gynecologic cancers.
Why is it so important to be treated by a gynecologic oncologist?
The importance of being treated by a gynecologic oncologist cannot be stressed enough. According to numerous medical studies, there are significant survival advantages for women who are treated, managed, and operated on by a gynecologic oncologist. • Gynecologic oncologists are 5 times more likely to completely remove ovarian tumors during surgery
• 80% of ovarian cancer patients receive inadequate surgical debulking and staging from non-gynecologic oncology surgeons
• Survival rate and outcomes vastly improve with gynecologic oncologists
How can I find a gynecologic oncologist in my area?
• Call The Gynecologic Cancer Foundation toll-free hotline at 1-800-444-4441 or visit them online at www.wcn.org How is ovarian cancer usually treated? • Surgery, debulking, and surgical staging (removal of ovarian tumors)
• Chemotherapy
• Radiation therapy when appropriate
• Treatment for recurrent ovarian cancer needs to be determined by a gynecologic oncologist Where can I get more information and help? • Gynecologic Cancer Foundation
800/444-4441 www.thegcf.org or www.wcn.org
• Cancer Care – Phone Support
800/813-4673 www.cancercare.org
• Ovarian Cancer National Alliance (OCNA)
202/331-1332 www.ovariancancer.org
• National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC)
888/OVARIAN www.ovarian.org
• Wellness Community
888/793-WELL www.thewellnesscommunity.org
Revised February 2008
Source: American Cancer Society, Gynecologic Cancer Foundation, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health, And National Ovarian Cancer Coalition. |
