Ovarian Cancer Prevention

Ovarian cancer is one of the top five cancers that women are diagnosed with every year. It is also one of the hardest to catch in the early stages because it doesn’t exhibit any symptoms or show up on any tests until it has already begun to progress. The best ways to prevent the cancer from becoming terminal is all about knowing the symptoms and whether or not you are at a higher risk than the average woman.

Your sexual health depends upon knowing your body and when something is wrong. While women’s intuition can help you out tremendously, there are also some symptoms women ignore. These symptoms can include vaginal bleeding beyond a standard menstrual cycle, abdominal pain, abdominal bloating and an increased abdominal girth.

Knowing the symptoms and bringing them to the attention of your gynecologist can mean a significant difference in stages of ovarian cancer. Over 60% of the women who have been diagnosed with cancer of the ovaries also have another form of gynecologic cancer because it has spread before the doctors could diagnose the problem.

Understanding whether you are at risk or not can be very important. While there is nothing that links ovarian cancer to a specific cause, doctors have been able to link risks to the disease because of case studies. Women who are infertile, never been pregnant or who have been on an estrogen replacement are at a greater risk than other women. The cancer can also be hereditary, so if you have a family member who has had either breast or ovarian cancer, you are also at a higher risk. This is because it is possible that the same mutated gene was passed down into your DNA.

There are few things that have actually lowered the risks of ovarian cancer as well. Younger women, those who have had tubal ligation as well as those who have taken oral contraceptives are at a significantly reduced risk for developing the cancer.

No sure way exists at preventing ovarian cancer. The only thing that you can do is try to catch it in the early stages so that it does not become problematic or terminal. Three out of four women survive ovarian cancer and over half of those continue on over five years of being diagnosed. The earlier it is detected, the better the chances of survival.

Once a person has been diagnosed with the cancer, surgery is usually the way of handling treatment. A hysterectomy is performed, as well as the removal of both ovaries and the fallopian tubes. If there are swollen lymph nodes, it is also possible that those are removed. After the surgery, chemotherapy treatment is scheduled. The chemotherapy is either injected into the veins or the abdominal cavity. Radiation therapy is not typically an option with ovarian cancer.

Knowledge is the largest factor in preventing the ovarian cancer from becoming an issue. Pay attention to signs and symptoms. Visit a doctor every year for a pelvic exam and make an appointment if any symptoms suddenly surface. It could determine your survival.