The Facts Behind Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is one of the most dangerous cancers that women can suffer from.  This is because there is no early detection that can get a 100% reading on ovarian cancer. 

This means that ovarian cancer is only detected when it is in its last phases which can be very harrowing to any woman who finds out in the last minute that she has it.  But it is also important for women to know the facts of ovarian cancer so that they can go through ways to prevent it from happening.  Here are the facts about the disease that women should read about.

• Only a pap test can diagnose the cancer of the cervix or the opening of the uterus.
• The symptoms about ovarian cancer include abdominal pain, bloating, discomfort, nausea, indigestion, gas, frequent urination, constipation, diarrhea, vaginal bleeding, fatigue, abnormal weight loss or gain, and shortness of breath.  It’s important to realize that most of the symptoms are not gynecologic.
• Although there is no early detection that can help women with ovarian cancer, this does not mean there are no risk factors for the disease.  In fact, the risk factors include family medical history with ovarian cancer, increasing age, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, never bearing a child or having a child late in life, using talc in the genital area.  Another risk factor that is important to note is the use of estrogen doses for long periods of time, for example, 10 years.
• All women are at risk of ovarian cancer.  There is only a small percentage that suffers from the hereditary form of it.
• If ovarian cancer can be treated and detected early, then there is a bigger chance of survival for 5 years.  The fact is that there are a very small percentage of cases wherein the cancer was detected early.
• There are some studies that indicate that fertility drugs contribute to ovarian cancer but they are not a single cause for it.  Additionally, fertility drugs do not contribute to the formation of ovarian cancer.  It is infertility that increases the risk of the cancer.
• Women who have their ovaries removed cannot get ovarian cancer.  However, they may suffer from other types of cancer if it was spread to other parts of the body before the ovaries were removed.  This is a rare situation but ovarian cancer still can develop in this way even if there are no ovaries.  This is known as primary peritoneal carcinoma.