Ovarian Cancer Symptoms

Ovarian cancer - is the most aggressive malignant tumor in one or both ovaries. This disease ranks seventh among the most common types of cancer in women. Although the total number of diseases is relatively small, the mortality from ovarian cancer is very high. Ovarian cancer leads to the largest number of deaths from all gynecological cancers and is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in women. The reason for the low survival rate is that ovarian cancer usually does not cause any noticeable symptoms in the early stages, and currently there is no easy way to detect it. Consequently, the disease is usually not diagnosed until symptoms appear, and the cancer has not spread. Sometimes the disease can be detected during routine examination of pelvic organs.

The prognosis varies depending on the type and stage of the disease, but survivors for five years account for 30 to 40 percent. Therefore it is important to have regular pelvic examination;Diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer at the earliest stage allows almost 90 percent of patients to survive for five years. Due to the recent progress in the treatment methods, the survival of patients has increased even among women with the disease at a late stage, and some types of cancers in the ovaries can now be cured.

There are three main types of ovarian tumors:

Tumors from epithelial tissue. Approximately eighty-five to ninety percent of ovarian tumors develop from the epithelium, a thin layer of tissue that covers the ovaries. This form of cancer mainly occurs in postmenopausal women.
Germinomes. This type of cancer begins its growth from cells, from which eggs are formed in the ovaries, and mainly occurs in young women.
Tumors of stromal tissue. Such tumors develop from estrogen - and progesterone-producing tissues that form the ovary framework as an organ.

Stages of ovarian cancer

The stage of ovarian cancer depends on the size of the tumor, the presence and localization of ovarian cancer metastases in the body. Preoperative definition of the stage of ovarian cancer can only be preliminary. An accurate diagnosis is established during intraoperative revision.
At stage I of ovarian cancer, the location of the tumor within one ovary is a symptom of the disease. At the stage of ovarian cancer IB, the tumor spreads to the second paired organ. In ovarian cancer of the IC stage, the ovary capsule can be damaged.
For the II stage, the following symptoms are characteristic: ovarian cancer has spread to the fallopian tubes or uterus( IIA), to other organs of the pelvis( IIB).At the stage of ovarian cancer IIC, malignant cells are present in the abdominal fluid.
Ovarian cancer osteoporosis outside the pelvis is characteristic of stage III disease. They can be located in nearby and remote lymph nodes, as well as in various organs of the

Study of blood cancer markers in ovarian cancer

Currently, this type of study is considered one of the most important, as it allows very accurate diagnosis of ovarian cancer in the early stages of the disease. Tumor cells, especially malignant cells, are characterized by a more intensive metabolism compared to the normal cells of the body. They constantly excrete various substances into the bloodstream. When detected in the blood, you can accurately judge the presence in the body of a particular type of cancer. Such substances are called oncomarkers. They are specific for each malignant tumor. For example, in ovarian cancer in the blood can be detected oncomarker, which is designated as CA-125.For its detection, it is enough to donate blood from the vein. The problem is that only large oncology centers have the appropriate equipment for research.

Detection of the CA-125 oncomarker is carried out with the following objectives: If tumor formation is detected during ultrasound, oncomarkers help to quickly determine whether a tumor is benign or malignant. Also, the CA-125 cancer marker is used to detect ovarian cancer in the early stages, when the tumor is not yet visible on ultrasound: this preventive study is shown to all women whose relatives had malignant ovarian tumors, every 6-12 months.

• If you experience any of the symptoms of ovarian cancer , consult a doctor immediately.