The first fact of the 5 chunks of information about ovarian cancer you must know is concerning how the symptoms of the disease develop. Basically, you can have the tumors growing inside you for a very long time and not have any idea that you have ovarian cancer. And when the symptoms start, it can mean the cancer has gotten to a point where it’s not easily treated.

2. Fact 2: If Ovarian Cancer is Caught in its Early Stages, it has a 90 Percent Survival Rate

The second fact of the 5 chunks of information about ovarian cancer you must know is concerning the survival rate if the cancer is caught early. It can be as high as 90 percent. Yet, only 25 percent of women are able to catch the disease in these stages. Why is this so? Well, women who are at higher risk of ovarian cancer tend to get screening at the very moment something seems wrong with their bodies, (sometimes even earlier). You can be in this category mainly if you have a history of the disease in your family. When you get your gynecological exams, press your doctor for ovarian cancer screening. Be careful if you do this and you are not in the high risk category, since unfortunately ovarian cancer screening does carry a high rate of misdiagnoses, (which is why it isn’t encouraged for the general population).

3. Fact 3: Breastfeeding and Having Babies Lowers Your Chances of Getting Ovarian Cancer

The third fact of the 5 chunks of information about ovarian cancer you must know concerns childbirth and breastfeeding. Having your first baby in your 20s along with breastfeeding significantly decreases your chances of having ovarian cancer. However, you do not have this advantage if you had your first baby in your teens or if you have a baby after 35.

4. Fact 4: Taking Birth Control Lowers Your Ovarian Cancer Risk

The fourth fact of the 5 chunks of information about ovarian cancer you must know concerns birth control. It is believed that birth control is effective at helping to prevent ovarian cancer because it lowers a woman’s estrogen level, which is believed to be a factor for the disease. Be careful, though since some women may not be able to take birth control due to certain risk factors.

5. Fact 5: Get a Hysterectomy or Ovary Removal if You’re High Risk

The final fact of the 5 chunks of information about ovarian cancer you must know concerns the hysterectomy or removal of one’s ovaries. Hysterectomies provide protection for virtually any time of uterine cancer, but it can drastically decrease sexual pleasure. This is why if a woman is not at risk for any other type of reproductive cancer, a doctor may instead opt to remove just her ovaries.
For more information check Natural Cancer Treatments

The growth of the tumor may not necessarily start from the ovary or the ovaries, but may have spread to the ovary from other parts of the body, oftentimes the breast. The malignant tumor in the ovary may likewise spread to other parts of the body. The most common cases of ovarian cancer arise from epithelial cancer, which affect the epithelial cells (cells found in the tissues covering surfaces of the ovary).

Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

It is important for women to be aware of the nature and symptoms of ovarian cancer as this deadly cancer can affect women of any age. However, women face higher risk of ovarian cancer as she gets older, particularly after she reaches the age of fifty.

Most of the time, the symptoms of ovarian cancer do not show up until the cancer is widespread or in its advanced stage. This makes a woman at higher risk since it can be too late before she may be able to detect symptoms of ovarian cancer. Moreover, there are only very few symptoms of the cancer, which may be mistaken as symptoms of other health conditions.

The very first symptom of ovarian cancer is vague abdominal discomfort and bloating, which is caused by the excess fluid in the abdominal cavity. One always feels full even when she has not eaten much. As time passes by the swelling of the abdomen intensifies that some of your clothes may no longer fit you. Usually, it is because of this unusual swelling (way different from a woman’s monthly water retention) that most women go to the doctor for check up.

Bloating is accompanied by digestive disturbances, unexplained changes in the bowel habits and urinary patterns. There are frequent trips to the bathroom even in the absence of a urinary tract infection or other health problems. One may feel nauseous, very tired and she may feel like vomiting at times. She may also feel discomfort and pain during an intercourse.

Pain and swelling in the pelvic area is also noticeable upon closer physical examination. This is due to the swelling in the pelvis. In very rare instances, a woman in her postmenopausal stage experiences abnormal bleeding.

Other vague and non-specific symptoms of ovarian cancer include back and leg pain, loss of appetite, undernourished appearance, weight gain or weigh loss, and unusual bleeding in the vagina (heavier and longer than the usual menstrual bleeding).

Detecting Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

Screening is a way to detect the symptoms of ovarian cancer. The earlier the patient is screened, the better so as to decrease the mortality and morbidity of ovarian cancer. One of the most effective ways to detect the cancer in its early stage is through pelvic and rectal exam. For more information check Natural Cancer Treatments

Early Detection: Improves Ovarian Cancer Treatment

The sad thing about ovarian cancer is that during the early stage, there are usually no signs and symptoms that tell you about this disorder. Symptoms start to show up when the cancer is already widespread, making ovarian cancer treatment too difficult.

However, there are women who are lucky enough to detect the symptoms early on; hence, diagnosis is hastened up and ovarian cancer treatment is given immediately. Tests such as pelvic and rectal screening, ultrasound, x-ray and laparoscopy may help a doctor detect tumors in the ovaries.

At present, almost 75 percent of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer are not treated immediately due to late detection of the cancer. Experts say that when detection of the cancer is made early and when ovarian cancer treatment is given immediately, women diagnosed with the disease have 90% survival rate since the cancer can be easily treated in its early stage.

Diagnosis and Ovarian Cancer Treatment

When symptoms finally show up and the doctor suspects that a patient may have ovarian cancer, laparoscopy is conducted to confirm diagnosis. It is a direct visual examination of the abdominal cavity, the ovaries, the exterior of the fallopian tubes and the uterus using an instrument that is inserted just underneath the navel.

Upon confirmation of ovarian cancer, the doctor explores the extent of the cancer and submits the patient for surgery. The surgeon removes the growth or much of the malignant tissue. In most cases, the whole ovary or both of the ovaries and the fallopian tubes are removed as they the malignant cancer cells have already affected these areas. This kind of surgery is called salpingooophorectomy. If the malignant cells affect the uterus, hysterectomy is conducted (surgical removal of the uterus).

Surgery is usually ensued by radiotherapy, which is the use of high energy radiation to destroy malignant cancer cells in the body and shrink remaining tumors, which may later on become malignant. This procedure may be done using an external machine or a radioactive material put inside the body near the malignant cells.

The patient also undergoes chemotherapy, whereby the patient is given anti-cancer drugs to help hasten up ovarian cancer treatment. Drugs may be administered orally (through the mouth), intravenously (through the veins) or through the muscles (by means of injection of a needle.

Most anticancer drugs given to the patient have chemical compounds that are toxic to the malignant cells; thus, growth of the cancer cells is reduced or stopped. These anticancer drugs are called cytotoxic drugs. Other anticancer drugs used are synthetic forms of sex hormones such as androgen drugs and progesterone drugs.

In most instances, different kinds of anticancer drugs are prescribed in combination in order to speed up ovarian cancer treatment. However, not all ovarian cancer patients are given with the same anticancer drugs. The drugs given to a patient depends on the extent or stage of development of the ovarian cancer and her general health condition. For more information check Natural Cancer Treatments

Ovarian Cancer: Overview

Ovarian cancer is characterized by the malignant growth of one or of the two ovaries. The cells in the ovary multiply progressively and abnormally to the point that they can no longer be controlled. As a result, excessive tissues start to form tumors, which may be benign or malignant. The malignant ones are those that cause cancer.

The growth of the tumor may not necessarily start from the ovary or the ovaries, but may have spread to the ovary from other parts of the body, oftentimes the breast. The malignant tumor in the ovary may likewise spread to other parts of the body. The most common cases of ovarian cancer arise from epithelial cancer, which affect the epithelial cells (cells found in the tissues covering surfaces of the ovary).

Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

It is important for women to be aware of the nature and symptoms of ovarian cancer as this deadly cancer can affect women of any age. However, women face higher risk of ovarian cancer as she gets older, particularly after she reaches the age of fifty.

Most of the time, the symptoms of ovarian cancer do not show up until the cancer is widespread or in its advanced stage. This makes a woman at higher risk since it can be too late before she may be able to detect symptoms of ovarian cancer. Moreover, there are only very few symptoms of the cancer, which may be mistaken as symptoms of other health conditions.

The very first symptom of ovarian cancer is vague abdominal discomfort and bloating, which is caused by the excess fluid in the abdominal cavity. One always feels full even when she has not eaten much. As time passes by the swelling of the abdomen intensifies that some of your clothes may no longer fit you. Usually, it is because of this unusual swelling (way different from a woman’s monthly water retention) that most women go to the doctor for check up.

Bloating is accompanied by digestive disturbances, unexplained changes in the bowel habits and urinary patterns. There are frequent trips to the bathroom even in the absence of a urinary tract infection or other health problems. One may feel nauseous, very tired and she may feel like vomiting at times. She may also feel discomfort and pain during an intercourse.

Pain and swelling in the pelvic area is also noticeable upon closer physical examination. This is due to the swelling in the pelvis. In very rare instances, a woman in her postmenopausal stage experiences abnormal bleeding.

Other vague and non-specific symptoms of ovarian cancer include back and leg pain, loss of appetite, undernourished appearance, weight gain or weigh loss, and unusual bleeding in the vagina (heavier and longer than the usual menstrual bleeding).

Detecting Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

Screening is a way to detect the symptoms of ovarian cancer. The earlier the patient is screened, the better so as to decrease the mortality and morbidity of ovarian cancer. One of the most effective ways to detect the cancer in its early stage is through pelvic and rectal exam.  For more information check http://www.curedisease.info/?p=288 Ovarian cancer is named after the development of cancerous tissues/ cells in ovaries (an organ that is found in women and is an important part of the female reproductive system). Like any type of cancer, the thought of ovarian cancer is very frightful for every woman. If ovarian cancer is not detected in its initial stages, it can really become life threatening. In some cases, ovarian cancer can lead to removal of ovaries.

So, all those newspaper articles and research studies seem to suggest a lot of different things for preventing ovarian cancer (or at least reducing the risk of ovarian cancer). However, they also make it difficult for you to decide on what your approach should be towards tackling the risk of ovarian cancer. The best thing to do is to contact an expert and seek their advice on what approach would be best suited to you for tackling the risk of ovarian cancer. Since the doctors/ consultants (who work in the field of ovarian cancer) know much more about ovarian cancer and ways of tackling the risk, they would be able to guide you much better than you forming an approach all by yourself (by reading those articles etc). However, do not get overly worried about the risks of ovarian cancer lest you end messing up your life with the thoughts and fears of ovarian cancer overwhelming you. For more information check Natural Cancer Treatments