Ovarian cancer

Ovarian Cancer - Questions and Answers

Why do you call Ovarian Cancer the 'Silent Killer'?

I have two reasons for calling cancer of the ovaries a 'Silent Killer'. First of all, the condition is usually fatal once the patient shows signs of the disease. And, secondly, very few people seem to know or have even heard anything about this cancer which kills 4,000 women in the UK every year. That's double the number who die from cancer of the cervix, a condition that everyone has heard about!

Ovarian cancer will afflict about one in 60 women, and more than 5,200 new cases are diagnosed every year. As the ovaries are hidden away deep in the pelvis, any tumour that grows there, is unfortunately, also hidden. Once discovered, it has, all too often, spread to other tissues and organs in the pelvis, such as the bladder, womb, bowel or vagina. Once this spread has occurred, the disease has become so advanced that little can be done to save the patient. Sadly, fewer than one in 5 women with ovarian cancer will survive for five years, a statistic that has not improved over the past 30 years!!

What causes cancer of the ovaries, and who is prone to get it?

As with many cancers, we don't know the exact cause, but we are aware of certain facts relating to this particular type of cancer. For example, it's a disease of the western world, with the lowest rates occuring in Japan, China and India. When people move from these countries to the west, they become more prone to the disease.

The 'Pill', and pregnancy, offer some protection!! It appears that the more times a woman ovulates, the more she is at risk of ovarian cancer, so anything which stops ovulation should protect, and that is indeed the case! Ovulation stops whilst a woman is on the 'pill,' and also during her pregnancies. We now know that women on the 'pill' have a much lower risk of getting this cancer, and the longer the 'pill' is used, the greater the protective effect! The more pregnancies a woman has, and the longer she breast feeds, the less chance she has of developing ovarian cancer. Starting periods early in life, and having a late onset of the menopause, would obviously mean that more ovulations would occur in a woman's lifetime, and this puts her at higher risk.

Fascinating fact
A team of medical researchers have found that most ovarian cancers contained particles of talcum powder! Commercial talcs commonly have asbestos in them, and it is well known that there is an association between asbestos and cancer. On the basis of this evidence, women should not use talc in the genital area!

I've heard that cancer of the ovaries can run in families. Is that correct?

Medical research has shown that women with a family hisory of ovarian cancer do have an increased risk of developing the disease. At particular risk are those women whose mother or sister have had the disease, and those who have had two or more relatives with the disease. There also seems to be an increased risk of this cancer in those with blood group A, and a family history of breast and bowel cancer.

What are the symptoms of ovarian cancer?

Symptoms are often vague and non specific, and often are not related to the pelvic or genital area. Abdominal pain, and abdominal swelling are common symptoms, as well as weight loss. Abnormal vaginal blood loss and bladder symptoms can also be the only signs of early disease. In fact, any of these symptoms affecting a woman after the menopause, should alert the doctor to the possibility of ovarian cancer. If the cancer is detected early enough, and the tumour has not grown beyond the ovary itself, then it can be removed surgically. In that situation, the good news is that, more than nine out of 10 women will survive even without the use of distressing chemotherapy.

Further advice on all aspects of ovarian cancer can be found at Ovacome http://www.ovacome.org.uk and CancerHelp http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk
IMPORTANT NOTICE : This content is from the Dr Chris Steele personal archive and is provided for convenience only. Information contained here may no longer agree with the most up to date medical advice. Please check with a medical professional before taking any action.

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