Top 7 things to know about ovarian cancer

Ovarian Cancer It is one of the dangerous diseases that women often suffer from but is easily confused with other common diseases.

• Genetic Mutations: There are a number of genetic mutations that you can inherit from your parents and increase your risk of ovarian cancer, such as BRCA1, BRCA2, and Lynch syndrome. Women with a BRCA1 mutation have a 44% chance, a BRCA2 mutation has a 17% chance, and women with Lynch syndrome have a 6 to 8% chance. These mutations can increase your risk for other types of cancer.
• Family history of ovarian cancer: Even if you don’t have the genetic mutation, if you have two or more close relatives with ovarian cancer, you’re also at higher risk. Age: Age is one of the most common risk factors for many cancers, and half of ovarian cancers are diagnosed in women 63 years of age and older. As you age, the more your cells divide, the greater the risk of genetic mutations. They can accumulate gradually and at some point will produce cancer cells.
• Being overweight: Being overweight is the biggest cause of hormone disruption. When the body produces too much estrogen, especially in older women after menopause, it puts them at a higher risk of ovarian and uterine cancer. This is a risk factor that can be controlled by maintaining a healthy weight through eating plenty of nutritious foods and exercising regularly.
• Taking estrogen hormone replacement therapy: Using this type of therapy after menopause may increase the risk of ovarian cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, people who take estrogen (without progesterone) for at least five or 10 years have an increased risk of ovarian cancer.
• Ovulation: The more you ovulate, the higher your risk of ovarian cancer. During ovulation, the epithelium or skin, the ovarian capsule, ruptures and releases. And the more your ovarian cells divide, the more likely you are to have genetic mutations that can accumulate over time and cause ovarian cancer.
• Having endometriosis: You have an increased risk of ovarian cancer if you have endometriosis, a condition in which the endometrium (tissue) grows outside the uterus instead of in the inner lining of the uterus, and often cause pain.

Periodic health check, regular exercise, healthy menu… are How to prevent ovarian cancer.

• Periodic health check: Many people believe that if the body has no abnormal signs, there will be no disease. However, in fact, ovarian cancer in particular and cancers in general often have a latent stage, so it is difficult to detect the disease. In case the patient detects abnormal signs in the body, it is also when the disease has progressed to a severe stage and is difficult to treat. Therefore, you should have regular health checkups, especially gynecological examinations at least every 6 months to be able to detect and prevent disease as soon as possible.
• Prolong breastfeeding: When breastfeeding for more than six months, the mammary gland secretes oxytocin to help produce more sex hormones, this sex hormone will help women prevent cancer ovary.
• Regular exercise: Regular exercise, exercise and sports not only help women prevent ovarian cancer but also have a supple and healthy body. It is recommended to increase movement by exercising regularly or doing manual labor, doing housework and limiting sitting in one place for too long.
• Healthy diet: A healthy diet is one of the important factors that not only help women prevent ovarian cancer but also help their body become healthy and balanced. Should add more foods containing natural fiber and vitamins such as: green vegetables, cereals, fruits… However, it is necessary to choose foods of clear origin, do not contain pesticides, preservative, for effective disease prevention. In addition, do not eat foods containing fat and high cholesterol.
• Limit the use of hormone-containing drugs: Using hormone-containing drugs without a doctor’s prescription will directly affect a woman’s health and cause ovarian cancer. When experiencing menstrual irregularities, women often arbitrarily use menstrual-regulating products containing hormones without the direction of a doctor, which is very dangerous. Therefore, it is necessary to limit the use of hormone-containing drugs for a long time to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer.

Ovarian Cancer Cancer is a malignant tumor that originates in the ovary, such as from the surface of the ovary, or from the cells that produce eggs, from the supporting tissues around the ovary.

Cause Ovarian Cancer Currently, doctors and experts suggest that due to family history factors such as family members having the disease, there is a high chance that the next generation will also have a high risk of ovarian cancer. Or women over the age of 50 often have a higher risk of developing the disease, but the disease is increasingly younger with more cases of young women also getting ovarian cancer. Other factors such as older women who have never had children, a personal history of breast cancer, colon cancer have a higher risk of developing the disease.

Reality, Ovarian Cancer It is completely curable if detected early and followed the right treatment regimen. How long you live with ovarian cancer depends on what stage the cancer is in. Depending on the stage of the cancer, the doctor will have an appropriate treatment plan for ovarian cancer.

Ways to treat ovarian cancer include:

• Surgery: For patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer, especially early stage ovarian cancer, surgery is always the first choice treatment. During cancer surgery, the doctor will try to remove as much of the cancer cells as possible, the remaining cancer cells can be treated with chemotherapy or radiation. Usually, the patient will have to remove the ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix, omentum, and abdominal lymph nodes. But if the patient wants to have children, the doctor will try to preserve the organs that have not been invaded by cancer cells. Depending on the patient’s condition, the doctor may recommend open surgery or laparoscopic surgery. Laparoscopic surgery method has many advantages such as minimally invasive, highly aesthetic, shortens hospital stay and patients recover quickly. The surgery can cause brief pain and make it difficult for patients to have bowel movements.
• Chemotherapy: The use of drugs to kill cancer cells is called chemotherapy. The drug can be administered intravenously, orally, or directly into the abdomen through a catheter. Chemotherapy is often prescribed for patients with advanced ovarian cancer or to help remove any remaining cancer cells after surgery. After administering the drug, the doctor may have the patient test tissue and fluid samples to assess response to the drug. The drug affects not only cancer cells but also normal cells. Side effects of chemotherapy can include: vomiting, nausea, hair loss, loss of appetite, darkening of the skin, fatigue, etc. Some ovarian cancer drugs can damage the kidneys. , so the patient needs a lot of fluids to protect the kidneys.
• Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy is the use of high-energy radiation to destroy cancer cells. The radiation can come from a machine outside the body or a radioactive solution that is inserted into the patient’s abdomen. Radiation can affect both cancer cells and normal cells. This method can lead to some side effects such as loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, diarrhea, etc. Side effects usually depend on the dose and the area of ​​the body being irradiated.

Commonly used methods for screening Ovarian Cancer the:

• Pelvic examination: including examination of the uterus, vagina, ovaries, fallopian tubes, rectum and bladder, … so that the doctor can find abnormal signs in their shape and size,… Ovarian cancer warning. You may have ovarian cancer if: the ovaries are abnormally enlarged, there is a tumor in the abdomen, there is too much fluid in the abdomen (ascites).
• Ultrasound: is a method that uses high-frequency sound waves that cannot be heard by the human ear to shine on the ovaries. The sample obtained from the echoing sound forms an image known as a tone histogram. Tissues, sacs, air cysts, and tumors will give different images on the chart, helping doctors to diagnose ovarian cancer effectively. In addition, ultrasound also helps the doctor look at the texture and size of the ovaries and if there are cysts. The doctor can choose the option of transvaginal ultrasound (transvaginal ultrasound, inserting the ultrasound probe into the vagina) or abdominal ultrasound.
• CA 125 test: A blood test that measures levels of CA-125 – a tumor product that is often found higher than normal in women with epithelial ovarian cancer. However, doctors do not completely rely on this test for ovarian cancer because many other causes also cause high levels of CA-125 in the blood such as endometriosis and appendicitis.
• Barium colonoscopy: X-ray method of colon and rectum. Barium blocks X-rays in the colon and rectum, allowing doctors to easily see tumors and other organs in the patient’s abdomen.
• Computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis: combines a computer with X-rays to create detailed images of the abdomen and pelvis. This method is highly effective in supporting the diagnosis of ovarian cancer and the study of how far the cancer has spread.
• Biopsy: taking a sample of tissue to examine under a microscope to diagnose ovarian cancer. To get tissue, doctors perform laparotomy, removing the entire ovary if cancer is suspected. This is very important because if there is cancer, removing a tissue sample of the ovary will cause the cancer cells to escape and spread, so the doctor will remove the ovary to treat the disease more effectively. .

The detection of symptoms of Ovarian Cancer Early, early treatment will bring high efficiency. However, in fact, the disease is difficult to detect in the early stages because the symptoms are easily confused with common digestive disorders such as:

• Bloating, prolonged bloating, constipation are symptoms of digestive diseases but may not be due to digestive disease but because the tumor in the ovary is starting to enlarge and put pressure on the stomach and intestines, early symptoms of ovarian cancer.
• Discomfort, pelvic pain. Persistent pelvic pain, sharp, persistent pain. This pain is different from the pain of indigestion, or the pain of menstruation. Especially when pelvic pain occurs when it is not a sign of menstruation, you should immediately think that you may have ovarian cancer. Because cancer cells grow and affect other organs and parts around the tumor area, usually the abdomen, pelvis, abdominal pain.
• Indigestion, nausea, gas in the stomach even without eating. Compressing tumors will cause this phenomenon. If the condition persists for a long time, you should see a doctor right away.
• Changes in bowel movements, constipation or urinating more often
• Anorexia, fast food full, eat less, not appetizing
• Bigger belly
• Fatigue, unusual lack of energy, especially when overworked
• Lower back pain is a sign that makes you think it’s a sign of osteoporosis, ligament strain, arthritis, but you need to see a doctor to be sure, identify the right disease early.
• Sudden weight loss that is not caused by diet or exercise can be an early warning sign of ovarian cancer.
• Abnormal vaginal bleeding, pain, change in menstrual cycle
• Drip bleeding between periods
• Pain during sex, pain on the right or left side of the pelvis

When you start to notice the above symptoms, you should immediately think about the case that you may have it Ovarian Cancer rather than simple digestive disorders. When symptoms are detected Ovarian Cancer From the very beginning, you can completely treat effectively under the prescription of a specialist. However, in many cases, women do not have the above symptoms until the disease is in the late stages. Ovarian Cancer final phase.

Women should pay attention to monitor their health, should not be subjective with any small signs because it can warn of dangerous diseases such as ovarian cancer. If you have any suspicions, you should go to the hospital as soon as possible.

Ovarian Cancer are classified into stages based on how far the disease has spread, helping patients and doctors decide on the best course of treatment. Ovarian Cancer progress in four stages:

• Stage 1 ovarian cancer: Stage 1 The tumor is confined to the ovary or fallopian tube and has not spread to other organs and is also the easiest stage to treat.

1. Stage 1A: In this stage, cancer cells begin to form and grow inside an ovary or fallopian tube. At this time, malignant cancer cells have not appeared and have not penetrated outside the ovary.
2. Stage 1B: At this time, the cancer has not appeared on the outer surface of the ovary and there are no malignant cells, but the tumor has begun to appear in both ovaries.
3. Stage 1C: Tumors in the above 2 stages begin to appear one of the following: Appears on the outer surface of one or both ovaries. The capsules were broken. Malignant cells have begun to appear. When ovarian cancer is detected at stage 1, if you follow the right method and treatment process of the doctor, the patient has up to 90% chance to live over 5 years.

• Ovarian cancer stage 2: To stage 2, the tumor is still in the ovary and fallopian tube, but the cancer cells have invaded to the organs adjacent to the ovary in the pelvis such as the uterus, Fallopian tubes…Stage 2 means that the tumor has actually made contact and spread to other nearby organs.

1. Stage 2A: Cancer has spread to the uterus, fallopian tubes, or both.
2. Stage 2B: Cancer has spread to other nearby organs in the pelvis, such as the colon, rectum, or bladder.
3. Stage 2C: Cancer has spread to the uterus, fallopian tubes, and other pelvic tissues (as in 2A or 2B). According to experts’ prognosis, the 5-year survival time of ovarian cancer patients of this stage is 70%. Therefore, even though the patient Ovarian Cancer In phase 2, there is still a lot of hope. It is important to always follow your doctor’s treatment plan for the best results.

• Stage 3: When ovarian cancer has entered stage 3, the cancer has spread to other organs in the abdomen such as the ovaries, the lining of the abdomen, … or the system of lymph nodes. blood in the abdomen. According to statistics, up to 51% of cases diagnosed with ovarian cancer have entered stage 3 of the disease.

1. Stage 3A: By the time it reaches stage 3A, cancer may already be present in both ovaries. Although cancer cells in the abdomen or lymph nodes cannot be seen with the naked eye, when examined with a microscope, signs of cancer in the abdomen can be observed.
2. Stage 3B: The tumor has grown and is visible to the naked eye at surgery (about 2cm or less in diameter). They may also have spread to the lymph nodes but have not yet appeared in distant organs such as the liver, spleen, etc.
3. Stage 3C: This tumor has spread from the pelvis to the abdomen and is larger than 2cm. It may even have reached the surface of more distant organs such as the liver and spleen. It may or may not be present in the lymph nodes. At this stage, the 5-year survival rate decreased to 39%.

• Stage 4 ovarian cancer: Stage 4 is the most advanced stage of ovarian cancer. At this time, the treatment will be very difficult and expensive, because the tumor has metastasized to the liver and external organs of the abdomen and even has the appearance of cancer cells in the pleural fluid (from the abdominal cavity). surrounds the lungs).

1. Stage 4A: When cancer cells are found in the fluid around the lungs.
2. Stage 4B: Cancer cells have moved even further into the spleen, liver, lungs, brain, or other organs away from the original tumor, as well as to lymph nodes located in the groin. In the last stage of ovarian cancer in patients, the treatment will be very difficult and the effect is not clear because the tumor has metastasized far.

After determining the patient’s stage, the doctor will come up with a treatment plan. Treatment for ovarian cancer depends on many factors, including the course of the disease and the patient’s general health. Patients are often treated with many different methods such as surgical removal, radiation therapy, chemotherapy… Depending on the specific case, the doctor will appoint one or a combination of multiple treatment methods to increase the effectiveness. disease treatment results.

The treatment of ovarian cancer depends very much on the stage of the disease, which is also a decisive factor in the prognosis of the patient’s survival. Doctors recommend that women should have regular check-ups every 6 months to check their health, the earlier the disease is detected, the higher the success rate of treatment.