Ovarian Tumors: Classification, Identification, and Remedy Strategies
The ovaries, small almond-shaped organs located on either side of the uterus, can develop a type of cancer known as ovarian cancer. This disease can be challenging to diagnose early due to its non-specific symptoms, but understanding the risk factors, symptoms, and diagnostic methods can help in early detection and successful treatment.
Ovarian cancer can start in the ovary's germ, stromal, or epithelial cells. Germ cell cancers are often very treatable, with surgery being the first-line treatment and chemotherapy after the surgery being highly recommended. On the other hand, epithelial carcinoma of the ovary is the most common type, making up 85 to 89% of ovarian cancers and being the fourth most common cause of cancer death in women.
Several risk factors may increase your risk for developing ovarian cancer, including genetics, personal medical history, reproductive history, age, ethnicity, and body size. This type of ovarian cancer can run in families and is more common in women who have a family history of ovarian cancer and breast cancer, ovarian cancer without breast cancer, or ovarian cancer and colon cancer.
If you have a family history of breast, ovarian, fallopian tube, or peritoneal cancer, you may want to be tested for certain gene mutations and be screened regularly. Regular ovarian cancer screenings are not recommended, but if you have a family history, regular testing can help in early detection.
Symptoms of ovarian cancer can be subtle and non-specific, with frequent bloating, difficulty eating, a frequent, urgent need to urinate, pain or discomfort in the abdomen or pelvis, lower back pain, pain during intercourse, constipation, indigestion, fatigue, a change in the menstrual cycle, weight gain, weight loss, vaginal bleeding, acne, and back pain that worsens being some of the symptoms to watch out for. If you experience these symptoms for longer than two weeks, you should seek medical attention.
Diagnosing ovarian cancer starts with a medical history and physical exam, including a pelvic and rectal examination. Blood tests such as a complete blood count, CA-125 levels, HCG levels, alpha-fetoprotein, lactate dehydrogenase levels, inhibin, estrogen, and testosterone levels may be used to diagnose ovarian cancer. Imaging tests such as a CT scan, MRI, and PET scan can look for changes in the ovaries and other organs caused by cancer. Diagnostic studies, such as these, can be used to check for signs of ovarian cancer. A biopsy is essential for determining if cancer is present, which can be done with a needle guided by a CT scan or ultrasound, or through a laparoscope.
The stage of ovarian cancer is determined by the tumor's size, whether it has invaded nearby tissues, and whether it has spread to other areas of the body. Ovarian cancer is staged according to the following criteria: Stage 1 (confined to one or both ovaries), Stage 2 (confined to the pelvis), Stage 3 (spread into the abdomen), and Stage 4 (spread outside of the abdomen or into other solid organs).
Treatment of ovarian cancer depends on the type, stage, and whether you want to have children in the future. If you don't want to have children, complete removal of all areas involved with cancer may prevent you from becoming pregnant in the future, including removal of the uterus, removal of both ovaries and fallopian tubes, removal of the omentum, removal of as much tissue that has cancer cells as possible, biopsies of any tissue that might be cancerous. If you want to become pregnant in the future and you have stage 1 cancer, surgery can include removal of the ovary that has cancer and a biopsy of the other ovary, removal of the fatty tissue, or omentum attached to some of the abdominal organs, removal of abdominal and pelvic lymph nodes, biopsies of other tissues and collection of fluid inside of the abdomen.
In 2018, an estimated 22,240 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the United States, and 14,070 deaths will occur from this type of cancer. The five-year survival rate for all types and stages of ovarian cancer is 45%. However, if ovarian cancer is found and treated before it spreads outside the ovaries, the five-year survival rate is significantly higher.
Women whose cancer is diagnosed in an early stage have a five-year survival rate of 92%. Older women are more likely to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer, with the average age for an ovarian cancer diagnosis being 63. About 63% of ovarian cancer cases occur in women over the age of 63.
Several factors are linked to increased survival in women who have epithelial carcinoma of the ovary: receiving a diagnosis at an earlier stage, being a younger age, having a well-differentiated tumor, having a smaller tumor at the time of removal, having a cancer caused by BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.
Pain may also be a result of treatment, including chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, and talking with your doctor about ways to manage ovarian cancer pain is important. Chemotherapy is usually followed by surgery and side effects of chemotherapy can include nausea, vomiting, hair loss, fatigue, problems sleeping. Stromal cell cancer of the ovary is rare and grows slowly. It secrete estrogen and testosterone, and excess testosterone can cause acne and facial hair growth, while too much estrogen can cause uterine bleeding.
Ovarian cancer ranks among cancer deaths in American women and causes more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. Regular testing and early detection can help improve survival rates and increase the chances of successful treatment.
