Ovarian cancer is a condition in which malignant tumors develop in the ovaries, where egg cells and female hormones (estrogen and progesterone) are produced. Ovarian cancer if known at an early stage can be treated effectively. However, it is very difficult to diagnose this disease at an early stage.
Ovarian cancer signs and symptoms
Ovarian cancer signs and symptoms are usually unclear, especially in the early stages. Many sufferers and even doctors can be mistaken and think the symptoms of this disease are signs of other diseases. In general, the usual signs and symptoms are:
- The stomach experiences bloating and stretching
- Easily feel full when eating
- Loss of weight
- Not comfortable in the pelvis
- There are changes in the digestive process, such as constipation
- Frequent urination
- Changes in menstruation
- Nausea, vomiting, difficult digestion, anorexia, flatulence
- Back pain for no apparent reason
- Bleeding occurs in the vagina when not menstruating
- There may be signs and symptoms not mentioned above. If you have concerns about a particular symptom, consult your doctor.
Until now doctors have no definite conclusions about this problem. In general, cancer usually occurs due to changes in the genes in our body, which causes normal cells to develop into cancer cells. Then, the cells will duplicate themselves and make a tumor. In addition, these cells also attack the surrounding cells and spread to other organs.
Key Statistics for Ovarian Cancer
The site www.cancer.org mentions that the American Cancer Society estimates that ovarian cancer in the United States for 2018 is:
About 22,240 women will receive a new diagnosis of ovarian cancer.
About 14,070 women will die of ovarian cancer.
Of the many cases of cancer, ovarian cancer ranks fifth in cancer deaths among women, which causes more deaths than other cancers in the female reproductive system. A woman's risk of developing ovarian cancer during her lifetime is around 1 in 78. Her lifetime chance of dying from ovarian cancer is around 1 in 108. (This statistic does not account for low potential malignant ovarian tumors.)
Ovarian cancer attacks more older women. About half of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer are those who are 63 years or older. This is more common in white women than African-American women.
Exciting news, the rate at which women diagnosed with ovarian cancer has slowly declined over the past 20 years. Visit the American Cancer Society's Cancer Statistics Center for more key statistics.