Cancer survivor raises awareness

 

With each passing year, 15,500 women die from this disease. Although ovarian cancer typically isn't found until an advanced stage, it isn't due to a lack of symptoms. Typically thought of as a "silent" disease, ovarian cancer is actually noisy. We just tune it out.

Early signs and symptoms are vague, but a recent research study pinpointed a cluster of symptoms that occur more frequently in women with ovarian tumors, especially if they appear suddenly or last over an extended period of time.

This triad consists of abdominal bloating, increased abdominal size, and urinary urgency.

In the study, these symptoms were reported almost daily in the women with ovarian cancer. Other research validates the notion of this early triad. Identifying this symptom index justifies ordering tests to evaluate them and legitimizes the expense of these tests to insurance companies.

Other changes to report include feeling full after a small meal, unexplained weight loss, indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, fatigue, and abnormal uterine bleeding. Ovarian cancer should be ruled out first instead of last and, if suspected, should be evaluated by a gynecologic oncologist.

A test to accurately detect early stage disease has yet to be perfected. While scientists continue to pursue a variety of screening tests, mostly based on specific protein patterns and markers in the blood, doctors are forced to rely on a transvaginal ultrasound and CA-125 blood test.

Only half of women with early-stage disease, however, have elevated levels of CA-125, signaling why a more specific and accurate screening test is vital. By the time a woman recognizes her symptoms, the cancer often is advanced.

Indicators that increase your risk of this disease include personal history of breast cancer, family history (maternal and paternal) of breast, uterine, ovarian, or colorectal cancer, certain breast cancer genes, obesity, and use of fertility drugs, especially without achieving pregnancy.

Factors that decrease risk include oral contraceptive use, particularly of five or more years, childbearing, breast-feeding and tubal ligation after childbearing.

Further guard your health by obtaining annual pelvic exams, knowing your family history and sharing it with your doctor, and becoming familiar with what is normal for your body. If you note the triad of symptoms frequently throughout the month, specifically request a transvaginal ultrasound and a biomarker blood test.

High-risk women should discuss with their doctors the advantages and disadvantages of genetic counseling to gauge their risk of developing ovarian and breast cancer.

This is of particular importance for women with a personal or family history of these diseases, as well as having relatives with male breast or prostate cancers, because variations of specific genes have been identified in the development of some types of ovarian cancer.

Awareness, early detection, and prompt treatment are the keys to surviving ovarian cancer -- and that requires funding. As researchers across the country race to develop a sensitive screening tool for ovarian cancer, you can facilitate their efforts by donating to a research group, such as the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition or the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.