How Can You Detect Ovarian Cancer?

Diseases as serious as cancer tend to show certain signs that we do not associate with this disease. However, we should be aware of them in order to detect ovarian cancer early and fight it.

In fact it is to  detect ovarian cancer at an early stage is key to being able to treat it without creating major complications.

With these recommendations, you can do just that, and can seek medical help as soon as possible.

About 20% of cases of ovarian cancer are detected when it is in its early stages. This gives the patient at least a 94% chance of survival.

The stages of ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer can present itself in up to four phases depending on how far it has spread through the body :

• The first phase: Limited to one or both ovaries.
• The second phase: Limited to the pelvis.
• The third stage: A tumor is on the outside of the pelvis, but limited to the abdomen or involvement of lymph nodes, and does not include the interior of the liver.
• The fourth stage: The tumor spreads to the liver or the outside of the stomach.

How to detect ovarian cancer

1. Routine for examinations

First of all, make sure you get a routine checkup as often as it is recommended to you, to make sure everything is in order. There is nothing as effective as an obstacle when it comes to being able to detect a possible problem in time.

During a pelvic examination, the doctor will palpate the ovaries and uterus to examine the size, shape and consistency.

In this way, any form of cancer associated with the reproductive system will be detected at an early stage.

• In addition, there is another test known as Papanicolaou. It is effective for early detection of uterine cancer. However, it does not work to detect ovarian cancer.
• Unfortunately, this test can only detect ovarian cancer if it is already in an advanced stage.

2. Be careful with the genetic components

All in all, about  10% of women suffering from ovarian cancer will respond to a genetic cause. This means that it is likely that there have been cases of this disease in their family history.

• Therefore, these women should naturally undergo an analysis of the mutations in genes BRCA1 and BRCA2.

• The test consists of a simple analysis of the blood and can determine the risks the patient has of suffering from cancer. It can also determine if they are already suffering from it at an early stage.

3. Detection tests in advanced stages

If there is already a diagnosis, there are several procedures that the doctor can use  to see how far it has developed and the possible phase it is in :

• Hysterectomy
• Removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes.
• Biopsy or dissection of the aorta and pelvic lymph nodes
• Biopsy of omentet.

In cases where the doctor finds that the ovarian cancer is in the fourth stage (which means metastasis outside the stomach and inside the liver), he / she would continue using chemotherapy before surgery.

Possible treatments for ovarian cancer

Overall, drugs used to treat ovarian cancer tend to have fewer side effects than other chemotherapy drugs.

There are two ways to give chemotherapy: intravenously or by applying it directly to the stomach.

According to recent studies, intraperitoneal administration significantly increases survival. This is the most common method after an optimal cytoreduction surgery.

Is there an effective way to prevent it?

In addition to periodic testing, there is no known way to prevent ovarian cancer.

Removal of fallopian tubes and ovaries can prevent the disease. However, this is a very large intervention. It has serious contraindications.

In addition, if a woman takes birth control pills for more than 10 years, the risk of ovarian cancer is significantly reduced.

By getting the fallopian tube tubes tied, the possibility of developing an ovarian tumor is also reduced.

At least do not forget to get annual check-ups or biopsies to analyze the cells and make sure everything is in order.

This will keep you calm and is the best way to spot a problem.