Cancer is becoming today’s most deadly disease. In Women, Ovarian cancer is the next hurdle to resolve. This is a disease where malignant cells are developed in the ovaries. The rate of deaths caused by ovarian cancer is alarming. Over 15,500 women die and 22,280 new ovarian cancer cases are reported. This is according to The American Cancer Society in 2012.
There are various types of cancer. The symptoms are detectable in early stages through screening and other notable features like abnormal swellings and nodes. However, ovarian cancer is very hard to realize in early stages of development. This has resulted to its “silent killer” name since it appears asymptomatic.
There are various reasons why this cancer is difficult to detect if not utterly impossible to. There are no effective screening methods which could precipitate its early detection. Moreover, ovaries are deeply found in the abdominal cavity. The key problem to noting its existence is the mixed symptoms that present. One may not notice any unusual nodes on the ovaries and thus very hard to realize.
Common experiences that would give a red signal to ovarian cancer development include pelvic pain, back pain, bloating, trouble in eating, upset stomach as well as pain while having intercourse. It is for this reason that many researchers and medical personnel have found it taunting to notice the disease. Since the symptoms are mixed, the victim may never understand the situation.
On the initial stages, the cancer is known to start from the outside of the ovaries. This grows to an epithelial tumor. Research shows that different tumors may develop depending on the place where the cancer starts. If it starts in the hormone-producing cells, a stromal tumor comes and a germ cell tumor will form if it starts in the egg-producing cells.
Cancerous cells do not die. On the contrary, healthy cells continue replacing the old and dead cells. This makes the cancerous cells multiply amassing to a tumor. It is for the above reasons that the ovarian cancer tumors are very vigorous in body destruction. They mature to hostility without notice and thus silently killing.
Though the cancer appears asymptomatic in early stages, it is detectable in late stages. Most people are diagnosed with ovarian cancer at the 3rd to 5th stage of the disease. This is when almost nothing or too little can be done to cure the patient.
Common situations reveal that the symptoms are acclaimed to be cancerous during gynecological examinations. Sadly, only a few women undergo these tests regularly.
Since the symptoms are very mild, only few are diagnosed early. In fact, 75% of this cancer cases will have spread before being noticed. The cancer is detected while already in the abdomen. This makes the silent killer disease truly unpredictable. Most patients die within five years of illness but to their shock, they only know it when they are about to die.
Women who are experiencing the above warning signs should discuss with a doctor. Blood test or other pelvic examinations could help detect the cancer at early stages. Study has proven a 90% chance of curing it if detected early.
