- All females are at risk, Ovarian Cancer DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE.
- Ovarian cancer kills more women than all the Gynecologic Oncology combined.
- Ovarian cancer occurs in 1 in 57 women, up from 1 in 70 several years ago.
- More than 16,000 women will die this year alone and more than 25,500 will be diagnosed.
- Ovarian cancer is treatable when caught early; however the vast majority of cases are not diagnosed until too late.
- When ovarian cancer is caught before it has spread outside the ovaries, 90+% will survive 5 years.
- Mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes can be inherited, and passed on, by men just as easily as women.
- Only 24% of ovarian cancer is caught early.
- When diagnosed after the disease has spread the chance of five-year survival drops to less than 25%.
- There are almost 40 different types of ovarian cancer. However, nine out of 10 ovarian cancer patients have a common epithelial tumor, which begins in the surface tissue of the ovary (epithelium).
- Use of fertility drugs. Some fertility drugs under certain circumstances increase the odds of ovarian cancer.
- " One of the reasons ovarian cancer is so deadly is that it frequently doesn't have any symptoms in its earlier stages
- Ovarian cancer is difficult to diagnose
- To date there is no reliable screening test for the early detection of ovarian cancer.
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The Pap smear DOES NOT DETECT OVARIAN CANCER.
- Symptoms are often vague and easily confused with other diseases. However, new studies indicate that ovarian cancer has recognizable symptoms, even early stage disease. Knowing those symptoms can help save women's lives.
- Family history. If your mother, sister, or daughter gets ovarian cancer, your own chances are doubled.
- Having had breast cancer. In a cruel twist of fate, getting breast cancer while younger than 50 increases a woman's risk of ovarian cancer.
Pathophysiology: The cause of ovarian cancer is not known. A connection between the number of ovulatory events and the risk of ovarian cancer appears to exist. Ovulation suppression has been shown to decrease cancer incidence.
Ovarian cancer typically spreads to the peritoneal surfaces and omentum.
Only an estimated 10% of affected patients have a genetic predisposition. The patients at highest risk are women with site-specific inheritance. In these patients, ovarian cancer develops early, when they are aged 30-50 years.
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