Ovarian Cancer has been called the "silent killer" !!!

Historically, ovarian cancer has been called the "silent killer" because symptoms often become apparent only when the cancer has spread and is harder to treat.

                           

However, recent medical studies show symptoms often do exist for ovarian cancer, even in its early stages. The most common include bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, trouble eating or feeling full quickly, and urinary symptoms, such as the need to go urgently or frequently.

Trouble is, these symptoms are relatively common and associated with a number of different health problems, from irritable bowel syndrome to urinary tract infections. They are more likely to be due to other, less serious problems.

But if you have these symptoms almost daily for more than a few weeks, report them to your health care professional right away.

When ovarian cancer is found early, while it is still confined to the ovary, about 93% of patients live longer than 5 years after diagnosis. Unfortunately, only about 20% of ovarian cancers are found at this early stage.

See a doctor if you have persistent symptoms like the ones described above, and get regular women’s health exams. While most early ovarian tumors are difficult for even the most skilled doctor to feel during a pelvic exam, an exam may help identify other cancers or gynecologic conditions. Women should discuss the need for these exams with their doctor.

In addition to paying attention to symptoms and getting regular exams, there are steps women can take to protect themselves from ovarian cancer:

  Know your family history. About 10% to 15% of ovarian cancers result from an inherited genetic tendency to develop the disease. Have candid conversations with your relatives about the health problems that run in your family (especially breast, ovarian, and colon cancers), and discuss your family history with your doctor. You may need closer follow-up, depending on your situation. 

  Eat a healthy diet to help control weight, since being very overweight (obese) may raise ovarian cancer rise. Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day, as well as several servings of whole grain foods from plant sources such as breads, cereals, grain products, rice, pasta, or beans. Limit the intake of red meat and processed meats. 

Get regular physical activity as another way to help control your weight.

Limit alcohol consumption to no more than 1 drink per day. Alcohol use is linked to an increased risk of a certain type of ovarian cancer. 

Diagnosis of Ovarian Cancer

·    Exploratory Surgery : This surgery is performed for confirming the diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

·    Ultrasound : High-frequency sound waves are produced in order to get precise images of the structures inside the body.

·    Blood Tests : CA 125 blood test is performed for those women who are suspected of having ovarian cancer or previously had ovarian cancer. This blood test helps in detecting a protein antigen that can be found at abnormally high levels in the blood serum of those women who have ovarian cancer.

·    Positron Emission Tomographic Scan (PET) : This test helps in defining those areas that altered blood supply and also helps in identifying cancer.

·    Upper G.I. and Lower G.I. Scopy : It helps in ruling out the primary cancer present in G.I. tract.

·    CT scan : This helps in generating two dimensional images of the body that may show whether the cancer has spread.

·    Mammography : Metastatic tumors can be ruled out with this test.

·    Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) : Magnetic energy is used for generating highly detailed images of the anatomy such as tumors.

Advanced Ovarian Cancer Treatment in India Surgery

Three types of surgeries are involved in treating ovarian cancer such as :–

·    Laparoscopy : Gynaeoncologist perform laparotomy through a large abdominal incision, most often removing your ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes, nearby lymph glands, a fold of fatty tissue called the omentum and as much of the tumor as possible.

·    Frozen Section Tissue Analysis : The rapid analysis of the tissue is done under a microscope. The nature of the tumor is determined as whether it is cancerous or non-cancerous that also helps surgeons to perform a suitable procedure during the first surgery.

·    Laparotomy : This procedure is used by making a large abdominal incision. This incision is done for removing uterus, ovaries, Fallopian tubes surrounding lymph glands, omentum (a fold of fatty tissue) and tumor. Cytoreductive or debulking surgery is another name for this surgery.

Chemotherapy

After surgery, you'll most likely be treated with chemotherapy - drugs designed to kill any remaining cancer cells. Chemotherapy may also be used as the initial treatment in some women with advanced ovarian cancer. Chemotherapy drugs can be administered in a vein (intravenously) or injected directly into the abdominal cavity, or both methods of administering the drugs can be used. Chemotherapy drugs can be given alone or in combination.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-energy beams to kill cancer cells. The use of radiation therapy to treat ovarian cancer has declined in recent years, but Gyneconcologist use it in certain cases, such as when patient have a recurrence of cancer at the original site or if she can't tolerate chemotherapy. Gyneconcologist may use whole abdominal radiation to treat ovarian cancer that remains or recurs in the abdomen.

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What`s new in ovarian cancer research and treatment?

Ovarian cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the ovaries. Women have two ovaries, one on each side of the uterus. The ovaries - each about the size of an almond - produce eggs (ova) as well as the hormones estrogen, progesterone. Ovarian cancer often goes undetected until it has spread within the pelvis and abdomen. At this late stage, ovarian cancer is difficult to treat and is often fatal. Ovarian cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the ovaries. Women have two ovaries, one on each side of the uterus. The ovaries — each about the size of an almond — produce eggs (ova) as well as the hormones estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Ovarian cancer often goes undetected until it has spread within the pelvis and abdomen. At this late stage, ovarian cancer is difficult to treat and is often fatal.

Ovarian cancer treatment is for cancer of the ovaries, the second most common form of gynecological cancer with an estimated 21,800 new cases expected to be diagnosed in 2010. The ovaries are a major part of a woman’s reproductive system in that they are responsible for producing two female hormones (estrogen and progesterone) and releasing eggs into the fallopian tubes for pregnancy to occur.
As with all other cancers, the decision to pursue a particular avenue of ovarian cancer treatment depends largely on the stage of the cancer at diagnoses. Additionally, any ovarian cancer treatment decision should take place through close and open lines of communication between both the oncologist and patient

Symptoms

• The difficulty in diagnosing ovarian cancer in the early stages is due to the lack of specific symptoms. Early-stage ovarian cancer does not cause obvious symptoms. By the time symptoms become noticeable, the cancer has grown and metastasized. The symptoms of ovarian cancer are often overlooked or attributed to other conditions such as depression or irritable bowel syndrome. Symptoms commonly include abdominal pressure, bloating or swelling, discomfort or pain in the pelvis, or urinary urgency. Additional symptoms may include indigestion, flatulence, nausea, appetite loss, changes in bowel or bladder habits, pain during intercourse, lack of energy, low-back pain and menstrual changes. Symptoms caused by ovarian cancer persist longer than two weeks and are unresponsive to antibiotics or other treatments.

Risk factorsand causes

·         Scientists continue to study the genes responsible for familial ovarian cancer. This research is beginning to yield clues about how these genes normally work and how disrupting their action can lead to cancer. This information eventually is expected to lead to new drugs for preventing and treating familial ovarian cancer. Research in this area has already led to better ways to detect high-risk genes and assess a woman's ovarian cancer risk. A better understanding of how genetic and hormonal factors (such as oral contraceptive use) interact may also lead to better ways to prevent ovarian cancer.

Treatment

• Treatment for ovarian cancer depends on the size of the tumor and its aggressiveness -- that is, whether it has metastasized. A surgical procedure called a laparotomy is performed to examine the abdominal cavity for sings of cancer in other organs. Tissue samples, or biopsies, may be taken for further testing. Treatment typically includes a combination of regimens.

Surgery

• The goal of surgery is to remove as much of the tumor as possible. Along with the affected ovary, the surgeon will usually remove the second ovary along with the Fallopian tubes and uterus, according to the Mayo Clinic. Neighboring lymph nodes and the omentum, a layer of fatty abdominal tissue, may also be removed because these are common sites of ovarian cancer metastasis.

Chemotherapy

• Chemotherapy is generally administered after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells. A combination of intravenous carboplatin and paclitaxel is administered first. The most common side effects are abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. If that regimen is ineffective, bevacizumab is administered. Bevacizumab interrupts the blood supply to the tumor, causing it to shrink. The most serious side effect associated with bevacizumab is bowel perforation.

Radiation Therapy

• Radiation therapy is ineffective for treating ovarian cancer, although it may be used for advanced cases.

 Latest and Advanced Minimally Invasive Surgery 

 for Ovarian Cancer in India

Indian Hospitals gives women with ovarian cancer access to the latest in cancer treatment. For example, Indian surgeons use fertility-sparing surgery, minimally and robotic surgery in select cases, when app minimally invasive surgery — also called laparoscopic surgery — for several conditions. In minimally invasive procedures, your doctor makes one or more incisions, each about a half-inch long, to insert a tube. The number of incisions depends on the type of surgery. The tube or tubes let the doctor slip in tiny video cameras and specially designed surgical instruments to perform the procedure.

When you have minimally invasive surgery, you're likely to lose less blood and have less postoperative pain, fewer and smaller scars, and a faster recovery than you would after open surgery. Depending on your condition, you may need only a short hospital stay. For some conditions, your doctor may recommend robotic surgery. That technology gives your doctor great precision, flexibility and control by providing a magnified, 3-D view of the surgical site.