Ovarian cancer usually affects the women above fifty years of age and goes undetected till it spreads into the pelvis and abdomen. At the later stages, ovarian cancer is difficult to treat and may lead to death.
A RESEARCH study says that taller women are at greater risk of ovarian cancer. For about every 2-inch increase in height, there is a 7% increase in risk for ovarian cancer. Elizabeth A. Poynor, a gynaecologic oncologist and pelvic surgeon at New York City’s Lenox Hill Hospital says, “Risk goes up by a very small amount with increasing height,”as reported in WebMD.
The ovaries are a part of woman's reproductive system present in the pelvis, responsible for releasing eggs besides producing the female hormones, estrogen and progesterone. At the time of menopause the ovaries stop releasing eggs and also produce lower levels of hormones. Till now the cause of ovarian cancer is not clear but in general, cancer is caused due to genetic mutation which makes the cells grow and multiply in an uncontrolled manner. These cells form a mass called tumor, which can invade nearby tissues. The different types of ovarian cancers are cancer that begins in the cells on the outside of the ovaries, cancer that begins in the egg-producing cells and cancer that begins in the hormone-producing cells.
Ovarian cancer symptoms are not specific to the disease, but the most common symptoms of ovarian cancer include abdominal pressure, swelling, fullness, pelvic discomfort, persistent indigestion, gas, constipation, increased abdominal girth, persistent lack of energy and low back pain. The less common symptoms of ovarian cancers includes shortness of breath, feeling of frequent urination and unusual vaginal bleeding.
The diagnosis of ovarian cancer can be done by some tests such as physical test, pelvic examination, blood test, ultrasound and biopsy. The treatment of ovarian cancer is based on the diagnosis report. Some people come under stress after the diagnosis, so take your family members or a friend along. The treatment of ovarian cancer includes chemotherapy, surgery, a combination of surgery with chemotherapy and rarely radiotherapy. The kind of treatment depends on the the type of cancer, the stage and grade of cancer and general health of the patient.
