Ovarian cancer
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Ovarian cancer is a tumor lesion of the hormone-producing sex glands in women. The survival threshold is high - up to 90% with early detection of the disease and proper treatment. Today, the Humanitas network of private clinics provides clients with comprehensive diagnostics and professional treatment of ovarian cancer using the latest technologies and involving specialists from various medical fields.
Although ovarian cancer is highly treatable in its early stages, it is rarely diagnosed immediately. Often, the first symptoms appear only when the disease has progressed significantly. Then the five-year survival rate decreases. Overall, malignant ovarian tumors have a higher mortality rate worldwide than cervical and uterine cancers combined.
The disease often occurs in old age – over 70 years. It can develop against the background of benign or borderline neoplasms. Metastatic cancer can form in the gastrointestinal tract, thyroid gland, mammary gland and uterus.
The tumor grows rapidly and requires immediate treatment. Therefore, it is very important to promptly detect signs of the disease when they occur and contact a specialist for diagnostics and subsequent treatment.
Symptoms and risk factors
Often, up until the third stage of the disease, localized ovarian cancer does not show any symptoms. Because of this, it is rarely diagnosed at an early stage. Therefore, it is so important to undergo timely examinations and check-ups.
If the disease manifests itself at a young age, girls may experience abdominal pain and the so-called "acute abdomen" symptoms. The reason for this is the twisting of the stalk of the neoplasm or perforation of the capsule.
Other symptoms include:
rapid weight loss;
malaise and weakness;
intoxication of the body;
nausea, vomiting and stomach upset;
abdominal enlargement due to ascites.
When ascites develops in a woman, it entails a number of additional symptoms: shortness of breath, high temperature, flatulence, etc. If you discover similar symptoms in yourself or your loved ones, it is recommended that you undergo an examination by a specialist as soon as possible.
As for risk factors, research is still ongoing. Women who have not given birth and have not used oral contraceptives are more likely to develop ovarian cancer. Those who have had breast cancer have an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer. Genetics play a role, but the disease is quite rare in two close relatives.
Many scientists agree that the increase in the incidence of the disease in developed countries is strongly linked to nutrition. Thus, they name a large amount of animal fats in the diet of modern people as one of the important risk factors.
Diagnosis and treatment of the disease
Initially, the doctor examines the patient to identify the main symptoms of the disease. Instrumental research methods are supplemented by transvaginal ultrasound, which allows for the precise detection of the neoplasm and assessment of how much it has progressed - whether it has affected neighboring organs and whether it has caused fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity.
To clarify the spread of the process, CT of the pelvis, abdominal cavity and chest is used. To obtain a sample of tumor tissue for further examination, the laparoscopy technique is used.
Ovarian cancer can be metastatic, when the primary focus of the disease is in another organ. Therefore, an endoscopic examination of the stomach is mandatory, as well as a detailed examination of the mammary glands.
The method of treating ovarian cancer depends on the stage of the disease, the structure of the tumor, the general condition of the patient and other factors. The main method remains surgery, in which the uterus is removed and the greater omentum is resected. If the woman is elderly, sometimes a supravaginal amputation of the uterus and appendages is performed.
Polychemotherapy is administered before and after the operation. It can also act as an independent treatment. This method allows you to suppress tumor growth, and after the operation - to destroy the remaining cancer cells to reduce the risk of relapse.
The Humanitas Clinic is a leading Italian center whose work is aimed, among other things, at the effective treatment of ovarian cancer in women of different ages. The use of modern methods and the involvement of specialists in different fields allow us to develop an individual approach in each specific case. Plus, Humanitas has created comfortable conditions for medical tourism.
Although ovarian cancer is highly treatable in its early stages, it is rarely diagnosed immediately. Often, the first symptoms appear only when the disease has progressed significantly. Then the five-year survival rate decreases. Overall, malignant ovarian tumors have a higher mortality rate worldwide than cervical and uterine cancers combined.
The disease often occurs in old age – over 70 years. It can develop against the background of benign or borderline neoplasms. Metastatic cancer can form in the gastrointestinal tract, thyroid gland, mammary gland and uterus.
The tumor grows rapidly and requires immediate treatment. Therefore, it is very important to promptly detect signs of the disease when they occur and contact a specialist for diagnostics and subsequent treatment.
Symptoms and risk factors
Often, up until the third stage of the disease, localized ovarian cancer does not show any symptoms. Because of this, it is rarely diagnosed at an early stage. Therefore, it is so important to undergo timely examinations and check-ups.
If the disease manifests itself at a young age, girls may experience abdominal pain and the so-called "acute abdomen" symptoms. The reason for this is the twisting of the stalk of the neoplasm or perforation of the capsule.
Other symptoms include:
rapid weight loss;
malaise and weakness;
intoxication of the body;
nausea, vomiting and stomach upset;
abdominal enlargement due to ascites.
When ascites develops in a woman, it entails a number of additional symptoms: shortness of breath, high temperature, flatulence, etc. If you discover similar symptoms in yourself or your loved ones, it is recommended that you undergo an examination by a specialist as soon as possible.
As for risk factors, research is still ongoing. Women who have not given birth and have not used oral contraceptives are more likely to develop ovarian cancer. Those who have had breast cancer have an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer. Genetics play a role, but the disease is quite rare in two close relatives.
Many scientists agree that the increase in the incidence of the disease in developed countries is strongly linked to nutrition. Thus, they name a large amount of animal fats in the diet of modern people as one of the important risk factors.
Diagnosis and treatment of the disease
Initially, the doctor examines the patient to identify the main symptoms of the disease. Instrumental research methods are supplemented by transvaginal ultrasound, which allows for the precise detection of the neoplasm and assessment of how much it has progressed - whether it has affected neighboring organs and whether it has caused fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity.
To clarify the spread of the process, CT of the pelvis, abdominal cavity and chest is used. To obtain a sample of tumor tissue for further examination, the laparoscopy technique is used.
Ovarian cancer can be metastatic, when the primary focus of the disease is in another organ. Therefore, an endoscopic examination of the stomach is mandatory, as well as a detailed examination of the mammary glands.
The method of treating ovarian cancer depends on the stage of the disease, the structure of the tumor, the general condition of the patient and other factors. The main method remains surgery, in which the uterus is removed and the greater omentum is resected. If the woman is elderly, sometimes a supravaginal amputation of the uterus and appendages is performed.
Polychemotherapy is administered before and after the operation. It can also act as an independent treatment. This method allows you to suppress tumor growth, and after the operation - to destroy the remaining cancer cells to reduce the risk of relapse.
The Humanitas Clinic is a leading Italian center whose work is aimed, among other things, at the effective treatment of ovarian cancer in women of different ages. The use of modern methods and the involvement of specialists in different fields allow us to develop an individual approach in each specific case. Plus, Humanitas has created comfortable conditions for medical tourism.