Important things that you need to know about ovarian cancer

Shifat Info

13 Mar, 2024

Today's topic is about what every girl in our society needs to know about ovarian cancer. Cancer is a deadly disease in our life. Every level of people in our society needs to have proper knowledge about this matter.

What is important to know about ovarian cancer is very important for women's reproductive system. Let's get the overall idea about it.

Inroduction

Thousands of women worldwide are currently suffering from a challenging disease like ovarian cancer. It is difficult to detect in the early stages hence it is termed as "silent killer". In today's discussion section, what is important to know about ovarian cancer, what is ovarian cancer and its causes and treatment methods are discussed.

What is ovarian cancer?

Ovarian cancer is an abnormal result of a cell that has the ability to invade other vital parts of the body. It infects the ovaries. It becomes very difficult to detect it in the early stages as it does not show any symptoms. It is an oncological medical condition in women.

Causes of ovarian cancer

Among important things that you need to know about ovarian cancer is very important to know about causes of ovarian cancer. Knowing the cause of ovarian cancer is very important. If you don't know the cause, you won't be able to know about its remedy. Although the exact cause of this cancer is not yet known, there are some reasons that can cause this cancer,

Women over 60 are more likely to be affected by this cancer.
Being overweight of women is associated with cancer.
People with a family history of this cancer are more likely to be affected, such as having a close relative with a mutation in the BRCA 1/2 gene.
There is also a possibility if one does not get pregnant in the first pregnancy.
Ovarian cancer can also be caused by absence of menstruation, short menstrual cycles, taking oral contraceptives, breastfeeding, multiple pregnancies, and early pregnancy.
If one has undergone gynecological surgery like hysterectomy.
Sometimes abnormal tissue grows outside the lining of the uterus called endometriosis. This can also lead to ovarian cancer.

Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

Among the important things to know about ovarian cancer, it is important to know its symptoms. The symptoms seen in this case are,

Abdominal Bloating: Ovarian cancer may cause abdominal bloating or abdominal enlargement, and this is often due to digestive problems or weight gain.
Pelvic pain: A common symptom of ovarian cancer is persistent pelvic pain or discomfort. This discomfort may be continuous or intermittent.
Frequent urination: Another symptom of ovarian or ovarian cancer is frequent urination, increased sense of urgency.
Unexplained weight loss: Significant weight loss. This is an alarming symptom of ovarian or ovarian cancer. This is because cancer has an effect on the body's metabolism.
Changes in bowel habits: Ovarian cancer can cause changes in bowel habits, such as constipation or diarrhea and unusual abdominal discomfort during bowel movements.
Loss of appetite: One of the symptoms of ovarian cancer is loss of appetite. At this time, the normal metabolism or food digestion process of humans, which breaks down food and produces energy, is destroyed.
Vaginal Bleeding: Another early symptom of ovarian cancer is vaginal bleeding at any time apart from the normal menstrual cycle.
Lower Back Pain: Pain is felt in the lower back or below the waist. This is a sign of ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer stage

Among the important things to know about ovarian cancer, knowing its stages will help us understand.

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Stage 1: In this case, the cancerous tumor is confined to the ovaries and fallopian tubes. Three subcategories are seen at this stage,

Stage 1A: Tumor growth is confined to the ovary.
Stage 1B: It has spread to both the ovaries and fallopian tubes.
Stage 1C: Tumor growth is seen on the outer surface of the ovary or in the fluid around the ovary.

Stage 2: In this stage, the cancerous tumor begins to spread beyond the ovary. There are two phases in this case.

Stage IIA: The cancerous tumor has spread to the uterus or fallopian tube i.e. direct extension from the ovary to the adjacent reproductive structures.
Stage IIB: The cancer tumor has spread beyond the reproductive organs to other pelvic tissues.

Stage 3: In this stage, the cancerous tumor has spread beyond the pelvis to the lining of the abdomen (peritoneum) or lymph nodes. In this case the stages are,

Stage IIIA1-A: Cancer tumors are found in retroperitoneal (behind the peritoneum) lymph nodes or pelvic lymph nodes. Its size is 10 mm or smaller. At maximum it can exceed 10 mm.
Stage IIIA2: The cancer tumor has spread microscopically, which can be seen during imaging or surgery.
Stage IIIB: Cancer 2 cm in size tumor implants scattered in the abdomen.
Stage IIIC: In this stage cancer with larger tumor implants >2 cm in size that affect the lymph nodes. This stage of treatment is known as debulking. The primary goal of this treatment is to remove as much cancer as possible.

Stage 4: In this stage, the cancerous tumor has spread to distant organs. In this case the stages are,

Stage IVA: The cancer tumor has spread to the lung cavity. Lungs contain it.
Stage IVB: The cancerous tumor has metastasized to organs outside the peritoneal cavity. For example in the spleen or liver (inside the organ), near the lungs or ovaries and in the lymph nodes. This stage is very difficult to treat.

Treatment method of ovarian cancer

Important things that you need to know about ovarian cancer among them it is important to know about its treatment. Treatment options for ovarian cancer will generally depend on the stage of ovarian cancer and the overall health of the patient. Ovarian cancer cases are diagnosed at a very advanced stage and treatment is challenging.

The steps of its treatment are given below,

Surgery

Surgery is used primarily to confirm the diagnosis, assess the stage of the cancer, and remove cancer cells. There are several procedures or stages of surgery such as,

Salpingo-oophorectomy: This procedure involves removing the ovaries and fallopian tubes. This is called debugging. If the cancer is at an early stage but a woman wants to become pregnant in the future, she may consider removing only one ovary and one fallopian tube if the cancer is only in one ovary. And if a woman has a tumor in one ovary, only the ovary containing the tumor needs to be removed, so that the woman can still get pregnant.
Hysterectomy: In this procedure, the uterus and surrounding tissue are removed if necessary. A partial hysterectomy requires only the removal of the uterus, but a total hysterectomy requires the removal of a woman's uterus and cervix completely.
Lymphadenectomy/Lymph Node Dissection: In this procedure, a doctor removes lymph nodes in the pelvic and paraaortic areas.
Omentectomy: A thin tissue that protects the stomach and intestines is removed during this procedure.
Cytoreductive surgery: This surgery is done in women whose cancer has spread to other parts of the body besides the ovaries. In this case, tissue may be removed from other nearby organs, including the liver, spleen, or even part of the small intestine or colon. It may also be necessary to amputate a part of each organ.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the next step to improve the effectiveness of treatment. In this case, if the cancer has spread beyond the ovaries, fallopian tubes or peritoneum, doctors use chemotherapy to shrink the tumor before debulking surgery. Chemotherapy drugs are designed to destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy drugs taken by mouth or by injection.

But no matter how it is taken it affects the whole body. Another option for chemotherapy is intraperitoneal. In this process, chemotherapy drugs are delivered through a tube directly to the cancerous area inside the body. There is another type of chemotherapy called neoadjuvant chemotherapy In this case, chemotherapy is given before surgery to shrink the tumor.

Targeted therapy

This therapy is used in recurrent or advanced ovarian cancer. These therapies work to limit adverse effects by targeting specific cells involved in cancer growth that help the cancer spread.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy uses X-rays to destroy cancer cells. Although this method is not the primary treatment for ovarian cancer, it can be used in specific situations. The procedure is done by injecting a radioactive liquid into the peritoneum. Women with advanced ovarian cancer may benefit from this treatment.

Immunotherapy (Biotherapy)

The main aim of this therapy is to improve the body's immune system to protect it from cancer attacks. In this case, drugs are given that help find and destroy the tumor.

Awareness about Ovarian Cancer

One of the most important things that you need to know about ovarian cancer is awareness. What awareness you should keep in mind is given below,

Efforts should be made to detect ovarian cancer at an early stage to increase the chances of successful treatment and thereby increase the chances of long-term survival.
Get the right treatment to relieve symptoms associated with ovarian cancer, such as abdominal pain and discomfort.
Timely diagnosis is very important. In this case, one must be connected with the physician, networks of friends, family, and other support groups. It will help the cancer patient to deal with mental challenges.
A common thing can be observed during treatment. Anxiety, depression and mental anguish are associated with this can be increase. At this time there will be no curtailment in seeking psychological services.
Financially well-off patients can gain access to advanced treatments that are likely to be more effective than standard therapies.

Author's comments

Hopefully, we've given you a fair idea of what important things that you need to know about ovarian cancer. If this cancer is caught in the early stage, it can be cured by following the right treatment. So we especially women have to look at this matter very seriously. If you like this post, share it with your loved ones and follow this page. Comment to know more thanks.