{"id":62015,"date":"2017-09-27T11:15:07","date_gmt":"2017-09-27T15:15:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=62015"},"modified":"2021-05-13T10:15:19","modified_gmt":"2021-05-13T14:15:19","slug":"ovarian-cancer-awareness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/health\/ovarian-cancer-awareness\/","title":{"rendered":"What Every Woman Should Know About Ovarian Cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo: Twenty20<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What Every Woman Needs to Know About Ovarian Cancer<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re a woman of reproductive age who goes to the gynecologist regularly, you\u2019re familiar with breast self-exams and Pap smears, diagnostic tools for breast cancer and cervical cancer respectively. You know what the pink ribbon stands for, and that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month (here\u2019s what you can do to reduce your risk<\/a>).<\/p>\n

What you\u2019re probably less familiar with is ovarian cancer, the teal ribbon, and that September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. I wasn\u2019t either, until my mom was diagnosed with Stage IIIC ovarian cancer almost two years ago. She passed away this summer from the disease.<\/p>\n

This \u201csilent killer\u201d will claim 14,000 women\u2019s lives this year alone, according to the American Cancer Society. Only 15 percent of cases are caught at Stage 1. It\u2019s not all bleak, though. Knowing the risk factors and signs can help you make important lifestyle and screening choices that can help reduce your risk.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>5 Breast Cancer Charities Giving Women New Hope<\/a><\/p>\n

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Graphic: Courtesy of Consumer Safety<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Identifying Your Ovarian Cancer Risks<\/h3>\n

An estimated 20 percent of ovarian cancer patients have the BRCA1 or BRCA2<\/a> genetic mutation that predisposes them to breast and ovarian cancer. Although you can\u2019t change your genetics, this gives you actionable information, says Dr. Andrew Berchuck, the director of the Duke University Division of Gynecologic Oncology.<\/p>\n

Another consideration: Studies<\/a> show a link between higher incidences of ovarian cancer and women who have ovulated more. \u201cAs modern women ovulate more,\u201d says Berchuck, \u201cit becomes more of a problem. Historically, women ovulated a lot less because they were pregnant or breast feeding more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whether or not a woman has the BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, one major step she can take is the use of birth control pills. Studies<\/a> have shown that taking the pill for five years or more diminishes risk for the disease by 40 percent, due to reduced ovulation. Women can also decide if they want to undergo prophylactic surgery to remove their ovaries while still healthy, Dr. Berchuck says.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Everything You Need to Know About Exercise and PMS<\/a><\/p>\n

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Graphic: Courtesy of Consumer Safety<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ovarian Cancer Screening and Symptoms<\/h3>\n

Because of limited symptoms at early stages and no effective screening test, most ovarian cancer cases are discovered at advanced stages. These diseases are associated with less than a 40 percent chance of five-year survival, according to the American Cancer Society.<\/p>\n

Once signs are<\/em> present, many are also commonly associated with benign diseases, which can be confusing. Some of the symptoms include bloating and pelvic or abdominal pain. However, when ovarian cancer causes these symptoms, they occur more often or are more severe.<\/p>\n

Women should consult their doctors if they are experiencing these symptoms either for two weeks or more or if pain is present more than 12 times per month, Dr. Berchuck says. From there, if the oncologist suspects it may be ovarian cancer, she will likely order a CT scan or ultrasound and a CA-125 blood test. An elevated CA-125 level (a protein found in the blood) may indicate the presence of ovarian cancer.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>How Fitness Helped Me Through a Breast Cancer Scare<\/a><\/p>\n

Treatment will often include a combination of strategies (for instance, a hysterectomy with removal of the fallopian tubes and ovaries and chemotherapy). Newer biological ovarian cancer treatments, including PARP inhibitors (which prevent DNA repair) and antiangiogenic drugs (which prevent the development of small blood vessels that feed tumors) have been approved recently and can help some women. Immunotherapies that activate the immune system to fight the cancer are also under investigation.<\/p>\n

While there\u2019s no cure for most patients with advanced stage disease, Dr. Berchuck says, \u201cnew therapies are leading to more prolonged survival, and that\u2019s exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n