Raising Awareness on Ovarian Cancer

Since signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer can be difficult to detect. We’ve gathered information regarding the disease, how women can detect the disease early and preventative measures women can take to protect their health.

Ovarian Cancer in Numbers

There are over 20,000 American women affected by ovarian cancer in the United States every year. In Mississippi, women diagnosed with ovarian cancer has steadily declined since 2003, but there is still work to be done.

According to the National Cancer Institute statistics, Mississippi women diagnosed with ovarian cancer have an incidence rate of 8.2%, compared to the country’s overall 10.1% incidence rate. An incidence rate is a rate in which the number of new cases of a disease is divided by the number of persons at risk for the disease. These ovarian cancer statistics were based on cases per a 100,000 population count in Mississippi.

Signs, Symptoms & Risk Factors

September is officially Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, a time to support patients and educate the general public on the disease. It’s hard for doctors to find ovarian cancer in the early stages. This is due to the early stage not having any symptoms. Often times, when symptoms do appear, the cancer has advanced.

In an effort to inform, here’s some typical symptoms of ovarian cancer. It’s important you visit your Blue Primary Care Provider if any of these symptoms persist over two weeks or more.

• Bloating
• Trouble eating or feeling full quickly
• Pelvic/abdominal pain
• Urinary frequency
• Fatigue
• Menstrual changes
• Back pain
• Upset stomach, heartburn or constipation

Risk factors include the following:

• Getting older
• Being a woman
• Overweight or obese
• Childbirth later in life or never having a full-term pregnancy
• Hormone replacement therapy
• A family history of ovarian cancer, breast cancer or colorectal cancer
• A personal history of breast cancer
• An inherited genetic mutation (BRCA1, BRCA2)
• A family cancer syndrome (changes in genes passed down resulting in increased chances of certain types of cancers)
• Smoking

While experts say there is no known way to prevent ovarian cancer, there are ways to lower your chances of getting ovarian cancer. According to the CDC, you can decrease your risks of ovarian cancer by using oral contraceptives for five years or more, giving birth, breastfeeding your newborn for a year or more, having a tubal ligation (getting your tubes tied), both ovaries removed, both fallopian tubes removed or a hysterectomy.

To catch the disease early, make sure you are receiving blood tests periodically and practicing healthy behaviors.

Sources:

Caring House
National Cancer Institute
American Cancer Society
CDC