The Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

Understanding Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is a cancer that grows in the ovary or ovaries. The disease is the seventh positions among the types of cancer most commonly strikes women. In 2012, it is estimated there are about new cases of ovarian cancer 239,000 appearing around the world.

The symptoms of ovarian cancer

This cancer can her by all women at all ages. But ovarian cancer most often strikes women experiencing menopausal or generally aged 50 years and over.

Types of ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer can be categorized into three types: epithelial stromal tumor, tumors, and tumor cells of germinal. The determination is based on the type of cancer cells which attacked cancer.

Epithelial tumor is a type of ovarian cancer that occurs when cancerous cells invade the tissue that encloses the ovary. About 9 out of 10 cases of ovarian cancer is of this type.

While stromal tumor occurs when cancer cells invade the tissue containing the hormone-producing cells. This type of cancer including rare and estimated only suffered 7 among 100 people with ovarian cancer.

If cancer cells invade the egg-producing cells, this is called germinal cell tumor. Types of ovarian cancer is more often strike young women.

The symptoms of ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer include types of diseases that are difficult to identify. At the early stage ovarian cancer rarely causes symptoms. If there are any, symptoms tend to be counted due to other illnesses (such as constipation or irritable bowel) so often recently detected when the disease is already spreading in the body.

Therefore, it is important for you to be aware of some of the symptoms commonly experienced by people with ovarian cancer. Among these are:

• Swelling of the abdomen.
• Stomach always feels bloated.
• Abdominal pain.
• Weight loss.
• Quickly full.
• Nausea.
• Changes in bowel habits, such as constipation.
• The frequency of urination.
• Pain during sex.

Make sure you saw a doctor if feel any of these symptoms, especially those often experienced or failed to improve. Do not assume a paltry indications the disease even though it feels or looks trivial.

Causes and risk factors of ovarian cancer

Just like cancer in most cases, the cause of ovarian cancer is also not yet known for sure. But experts suspect there are several factors that can increase a woman's risk for developing cancer. These risk factors include:

• Age. Ovarian cancer tends to occur in women aged 50 years and over.
• Heredity and genetics. Your risk for developing cancer of the ovary will increase if there are family members siblings who suffered from ovarian cancer or breast cancer. So also with the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are owners.
• Estrogen hormone replacement therapy, especially long-term and high berdosis.
• Severe endometriosis.
• Never pregnant.
• Experience a menstrual cycle before age 12 and menopause after age 50 years.
• Through the process of fertility treatment.
• Smoking.
• Using contraceptives IUD.

Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis Process

After asking the symptoms experienced, family medical history, and perform a physical examination, the doctor will recommend a more detailed examination. The process typically includes an ULTRASOUND, blood tests and biopsies.

The doctor will recommend an ULTRASOUND abdominal part and around the sex organs. This step will help the doctor to examine the shape, size, and structure of Your ovaries.

While the blood test is done to detect the presence of the protein CA 125 in the blood. High levels of CA 125 can indicate ovarian cancer. But this can't be the only benchmark because the CA 125 can also increase due to other conditions such as fibroids in the uterus and not all ovarian cancer sufferers have high levels of CA 125.

If a positive diagnosis process shows you have ovarian cancer, the next step is to figure out Your stadium and the development of cancer. This process generally includes CT or MRI scans, chest x-rays, biopsy procedure and to take samples of the liquid the abdominal cavity and tissues of the ovary.

Knowing the stage of cancer you suffered will help the doctor to determine the best treatment for you. In General, the staging of ovarian cancer in four categories which include:

Stage 1: cancer only attack one or both of the ovaries but has not spread to other organs.

Stage 2: the cancer had already spread from the ovary to the tissues around the pelvis.

Stage 3: the cancer has already spread to the abdominal lining, the surface of the gut, and lymph nodes in the pelvis.

Stage 4: the cancer has already spread to other parts of the body, such as the kidneys, liver, and lungs.