The most deadly among the gynaecological cancers is ovarian cancer. The symptoms of this cancer have similarities with those of other conditions affecting women and so they fail to notice them. That is why the detection of ovarian cancer becomes too late when the disease is in its later stage. It is very important that there is early detection of ovarian cancer in all the cases and spreading awareness about this disease is also necessary. The best oncologist in Kolkata has given some information about ovarian cancer for the knowledge of the general people.
Overview
Malignant (cancerous) cells are found inside, near or on the outer layer of the ovaries in ovarian cancer, depending on the type and stage of the disease. The location of the two ovaries is on each side of the uterus. They are small, almond-shaped organs that store eggs or germ cells. The production of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone is another function of them.
Though ovarian cancer is the most deadly one, according to Globocon2018 it’s the 4th most common cancer in females. The number of deaths by ovarian cancer is greater than any other cancer of the female reproductive system following Carcinoma cervix. The overall five-year survival rates among women can be almost 90 per cent when they are diagnosed with ovarian cancer that has not spread. If the disease has advanced to a later stage, the survival rate drops to around 45 per cent.
Education
There should be awareness in all women about the symptoms linked with ovarian cancer. These include:
- There is abdominal pain or bloating.
- There is an urgent feeling of urination at frequent intervals.
- There is difficulty in eating or a feeling of being full even on consuming very little food.
- There is an unexplained weight loss
- There is persistent lethargy
- There is low back pain
If a woman feels any or more of the above symptoms, she should consult her gynaecologist, physician or Oncologist.
Risk Factors
Family history is one of the most important risk factors for ovarian cancer. If any woman has a single first or second-degree family member with these kind of cancer, she has three times more risk of developing this disease. The risk factors include:
- There is a strong family history of either ovarian cancer or breast cancer alone.
- There is Lynch syndrome.
- There are confirmed genetic mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2.
There should be discussions with the family members from the side of the women and they should also discuss with their cancer doctors in Kolkata.
Treatment Options
Depending on the stage of the disease treatment option differs. Surgery (Cytoreductive surgery) followed by adjuvant chemotherapy is one of the options, or a 3 cycle neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by response assessment and interval Cytoreductive surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. So it is advisable to visit a cancer doctor in Kolkata to plan and execute the treatment.
Risk reduction
- Pregnancy: Women who have been pregnant and carried to term have a lower risk.
- Breastfeeding
- Oral contraceptive: The use of this for more than 5 years significantly reduces the risk of Ovarian Carcinoma.