Get the Facts on Ovarian Cancer

In 2012, it is estimated that more than 22,000 new cases of ovarian cancer will be found, and over 15,000 women will die from the disease, according to the National Cancer Institute. Unfortunately, in many cases the cancer isn’t detected until it is advanced. It’s important to recognize the symptoms and urge the women in your life to take early action.

Ovarian cancer is a disease in which cancerous cells are found in the ovaries – the two small, almond-shaped organs that store eggs and produce female hormones. Let’s take a look at some basics about the disease:

  • All women are at risk for developing ovarian cancer.
  • A regular Pap smear cannot detect ovarian cancer.
  • 50 percent of cases occur in women over 65 years old.

In the early stages, ovarian cancer may not cause any noticeable symptoms, or the signs may be vague. However, symptoms do exist and can increase over time. If detected early, the five-year survival rate is 93 percent (for cancer confined to the ovary). The most common signs include:

  • Pain or swelling in the abdomen
  • Frequent or increased urination
  • Indigestion (bloating, gas, constipation)
  • Feeling full quickly
  • Pelvic, back, or abdominal pain
  • Menstrual changes

While there is no proven screening method for early-stage ovarian cancer and detection is difficult, certain risk factors can increase a woman’s chance of developing the disease:

  • Having a known BRCA-1 or BRCA-2 mutation
  • Having a family history of breast, ovarian, or colorectal cancer
  • Never having been pregnant
  • Problems with fertility
  • Taking hormone replacement therapy after menopause

If reproductive cancers run in your family or you have health concerns, be sure to consult your physician.

Share this with the women in your life and help us raise awareness about ovarian cancer.

To promote education and awareness this month and throughout the year, Dana-Farber is collaborating with the Massachusetts OvarianCancerAwareness.org Coalition, which includes Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center, the M. Patricia Cronin Foundation to Fight Ovarian Cancer, and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Read a first-person story from Margaret Winchester, an ovarian cancer patient at Dana-Farber.

3 thoughts on “Get the Facts on Ovarian Cancer”

  1. If you have any of the abdominal symptoms listed above Please get this checked. My partner of 5 years died from this cancer. She had a reoccurence of the cancer after an initial treatment to put it in remission. Thank You to this cancer institute for their life saving work.

    • Hello, John.
      We are very sorry to hear of the loss of your partner to ovarian cancer. Thank you for encouraging our blog readers to watch for symptoms of this disease. May your memories of your partner sustain you.

  2. I am a 7 year ovarian survival, with the disease retuning this Dec-2013 for the 3rd time. If any women have any of the symptoms, please contact your doctors, be tested. I had all the symptoms at different time, and when I was diagnoised I needed emergency surgery stage 3 and chemo. Women get tested and even a 2nd opinion. I went to Dana Farber for a 2nd opinion when my cancer came back twice.

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