Your Guide to Understand the Silent Killer: Ovarian Cancer

India has been known for its lack of awareness regarding Women’s reproductive disease. The growing number of cervix, uterus and ovarian cancers is astonishing to witness. A majority of the Indian population is unaware of even the existence of these diseases. Ovarian cancer has been registered as one of the most lethal types of cancer among women. This cancer comes with minimal signs and symptoms and over time reaches an advanced stage.

According to the International Journal of Reproduction, Contraception, Obstetrics and Gynecology, “Ovarian cancer is the third most common cancer in Indian women, with an age-adjusted incidence rate of around 6.8 per 100,000 women.”

The reproductive organs of a female body are prone to catching bacteria and infections easily. Due to its nature of little to no symptoms at the early stage, Ovarian cancer gets even more fatal to treat at the later stages. If you are a woman or even a man, make sure to stay aware so you can save yourself or the women around you. Let us help you to understand this disease better:

What is Ovarian Cancer?

The ovary is a part of the female reproductive system found on either side of the uterus. This oval-shaped gland is used to generate and store eggs. In Ovarian cancer, a small abnormal cell is formed in the ovary or fallopian tube of a woman and keeps multiplying into numbers until a tumor is formed. The most dangerous part of this disease is its ability to show no symptoms until it reaches a severe status. The signs or symptoms only show up when the cancer reaches an advanced level:

The symptoms are:

• Loss of appetite
• Frequent urge to pee
• Severe pain in the pelvic area
• Lump or swelling in the pelvic area
• Digestion issues such as Gas, Constipation and bloating

Causes of Ovarian Cancer

• The majority of ovarian cancers are induced by genetic changes in DNA. In some cases, these genes are inherited, also known as Hereditary Ovarian Cancer.
• A person having any family history of ovarian cancer or any other reproductive organ cancer is likely to develop ovarian cancer.
• In some cases, not having a child or conceiving after the age of 35, also increases the risk
• Hormonal replacement therapy or fertility treatments also put you at risk of getting ovarian cancer.

Treatment Options for Ovarian Cancer

Surgery: Surgeries are the most preferred treatment option for Ovarian Cancer. In this option, the affected tissues or the ovarian tumor is removed through an invasive procedure. In the early stage, only the affected ovary or tissues are removed but in the advanced stage both the ovaries along with uterus are removed to spread the cancer further.

Chemotherapy: In chemotherapy, strong medications (drugs) are inserted into the patient’s body. This can be done through oral medicines or injecting them into the patient’s veins. This procedure can be performed before and after the surgery to shrink the cancer cells or kill any leftover cancer cells post-surgery.

Hormone Therapy: Hormone therapy is performed to target and block estrogen that is affecting the cancer cells. The ovarian cancer cells use estrogen as a catalyst to grow in the ovary, blocking these hormones helps to stop these cells from growing further.

Get the Best Assistance from a Professional

The treatment of ovarian cancer is critical to perform and requires assistance from specialists only. Dr. Piyusha Kul Shrestha is a qualified radiation oncologist in Delhi NCR, specializing in Cancer, Radiation Oncology, and Truebeam Linac. With 20+ years of experience in performing strenuous procedures such as IMRT, IGRT, SRT, SRS and CyberKnife surgeries, she is someone you can blindly rely on.

Book your appointment today to get rid of this life-threatening disease!