Combating Ovarian Cancer

Introduction to Ovarian Cancer

Befitting its name, ovarian cancer is cancerous growth in a woman's ovaries. Despite continuing interest in the number of medical conditions collected under the catch-all term of ovarian cancer, present understanding remains poor, though medical researchers have managed to produce correlations between their occurrence and a small selection of risk factors. For example, research suggests that ovulation leads to an increased risk for ovarian cancer, though the exact mechanism is still unknown. Furthermore, there is evidence showing that genetics has a contributing role in the occurrence of certain kinds of ovarian cancer, meaning that women with relative who have developed said conditions should be extra-cautious about their chances of doing the same.

Detecting Ovarian Cancer

Diagnosis is one of the biggest problems with ovarian cancer. In fact, professional bodies do not recommend regular screening for at-risk women because current tests are neither accurate nor reliable enough to produce meaningful benefits. In main, this is because understanding of the progression of ovarian cancer remains poor, meaning that more research is needed.

Of course, ovarian cancer has its share of symptoms, but there is a problem in that none of its symptoms are conclusive. Common examples include but are not limited to fatigue, swelling of the abdomen, plus changes in both bladder and bowel patterns. Imaging and blood tests can be used to lend support to diagnoses of ovarian cancer, though surer tests such as biopsies need more invasive procedures such as surgical exploration.

Combating Ovarian Cancer

In main, ovarian cancer is combated using much the same methods as other cancers. Surgeries can be conducted so long as the cancer is confined to and differentiated from the ovaries, while chemotherapy is often used both before and after such procedures depending on the circumstances. Please bear in mind that ovarian cancer is one of the deadlier cancers because current tests are neither as accurate nor as reliable as one might hope.