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Ovarian cancer: vague symptoms cause late diagnosis
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Each year in Belgium, more than 800 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The disease is the second most common gynecological cancer after cancer of the endometrium. In an early stage, the cancer is limited to the ovaries, but due to the vague symptoms, there is often already metastasis to the abdominal cavity at diagnosis, which makes the disease much more difficult to treat. Every year ovarian cancer claims 600 lives in our country.
“Ironically, the cancers where we can screen, for example breast cancer or colon cancer, get much more attention than the cancers where we cannot do this. Ovarian cancer is one of them,” says Prof. Dr. Toon Van Gorp, head of the gynecological oncology department at UZ Leuven.
Read also: Screening: for which cancers does early detection exist?
‘Silent deaths’
Dr. Van Gorp: “The ovaries and fallopian tubes are too high in the abdomen to detect cancer at an early stage. So we have to rely on the complaints that the woman has. And that’s where the problem is, because the symptoms of ovarian cancer are not pronounced, and point more in the direction of organs other than the ovary. As a result, it takes a while before a woman goes to the doctor and/or specialist. And if the woman does eventually see a doctor, it often takes another 6 to 12 months before an ultrasound or a scan gives the correct diagnosis. For example, the disease is only diagnosed in an advanced stage in 3 out of 4 women. Ovarian cancer is therefore sometimes called the ‘silent killer’ or ‘silent killer’.
Also Read: What Is Cancer And How Do You Get It?
What Are the Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer?
© Getty Images
Also Read: Possible Signs And Signals Of Cancer
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Can a cyst on the ovary turn into cancer?
A cyst is a fluid bladder that forms in an ovary. Usually you don’t notice a cyst unless it gets bigger. In that case, you may experience abdominal pain or a feeling of pressure in your lower abdomen and/or pain during intercourse. Usually a cyst is harmless, but very occasionally it can develop into cancer. Especially if ovarian cancer runs in your family, you should keep an eye out for a cyst. If the doctor’s ultrasound shows that the cyst is cancerous, surgery is needed. |
What types of ovarian cancer are there?
- Epithelial ovarian cancer: About four out of five women will develop this form of ovarian cancer. The tumor originates in the outer layer of cells of the ovary and/or fallopian tube.
- Gonadal stromal cell tumor: The tumor arises here in the stroma, a tissue layer of cells that produces hormones.
- Germ cell tumor: The tumor is formed from germ cells, the immature egg cells that lie in the ovary.
Is ovarian cancer hereditary?
Dr. Van Gorp: “15-20 percent of patients have a hereditary defect, namely a mutation in the BRCA gene. These women have a very high chance of developing ovarian cancer. We will therefore propose to them to have their ovaries and fallopian tubes preventively Since early detection does not work, we have to be ahead of the cancer. Prevention is still better than cure.”
Read also: Which cancers are hereditary and how can they be detected?
How is ovarian cancer treated?
In an early stage of ovarian cancer, when there are no cancer cells in the abdominal cavity, surgery may be sufficient as a treatment. At a later stage (from stage 2 to 4), the cancer has spread to the abdominal cavity or outside the abdomen. The treatment then consists of surgery, supplemented with chemotherapy and possibly also radiotherapy.
Also Read: Removal Of Ovaries (or Ovariectomy)
What are the survival rates for ovarian cancer?
With ovarian cancer, the chance of a cure depends, among other things, on the stage at which the disease was discovered, your age and your general state of health. Whether or not the tumor was removed also plays an important role.
Of those diagnosed with stage 1 ovarian cancer, 87 percent are still alive after five years. In stage 2, that is 68 percent. The five-year survival rate for stage 3 ovarian cancer is 28 percent. In stage 4, that percentage drops to 14 percent.
In contrast to our neighboring countries (France, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Scandinavia, etc…) there is no centralization of care for ovarian cancer patients in Belgium. Dr. Van Gorp: “There are 100 hospitals in Belgium that treat ovarian cancer. By comparison, in the Netherlands there are only about ten. This has a major effect on the chances of survival. A study by the Belgian Health Care Knowledge Center (KCE) has shown that patients treated in hospitals with large numbers of patients live on average 2.5 years longer than patients treated in hospitals with small numbers If we can centralize care, the support for our patients will also improve: pathway guidance, psychologists , physiotherapists, AYAs (Adolescents & Young Adults who support cancer patients), etc. So centralized care could help our patients enormously.”
Testimony: Linda was diagnosed with ovarian cancer“After a series of vague complaints at the beginning of 2014, a little blood and urine loss, a little stomach ache, for which I kept going to the gynecologist and for which I was confirmed at my explicit request that it was not cancer, it was decided to have my uterus removed in October 2014. because the complaints persisted. Unfortunately, my worst nightmare came true because during the operation the doctor had seen something that should not be there, ovarian cancer, stage 3c.” Linda has since undergone several rounds of chemotherapy, but is still battling cancer today. “I never could have hoped to be here eight years after my diagnosis. I realize that treatment options are running out, but I owe it to my wonderful family to keep hoping and keep fighting.” Genetic testing showed that Linda is a carrier of the brca1 gene. “My three children were also tested: both my daughters were found not to be carriers, but my son was. His children, if any, will be conceived artificially, so that embryos that are not carriers can be replaced.” |
In Flanders, women with/after gynecological cancer, together with their loved ones, can turn to the peer support group Esperanza.
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2023-05-07 22:04:43
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