Ovarian cancer, what it is and how it is treated

Ovarian cancer is the second most frequent among gynecological cancers, behind endometrial cancer. Within ovarian cancer, the most common is epithelial, which originates in the epithelial cells that line the surface of the ovary.

Gynecology specialists state that the most frequent symptoms of ovarian cancer are pelvic or abdominal pain, loss of appetite, urinary symptoms and abdominal distension.

There is currently no method that has proven to be effective in diagnosing ovarian cancer. Most cases that are diagnosed early are due to gynecological check-ups or when the patient undergoes some type of abdominal surgery. In cases where ovarian cancer is diagnosed early, survival can be as high as 90-95%.

Ovarian cancer: risk factors

The causes of ovarian cancer are unknown. However, there are some risk factors that cause some women to have a higher risk of developing it.

There is a group of women who have a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer.

  • Genetic mutations: A woman who has a mutation in the BRCA1, BRCA2, MLH1, MSH2 or MSH6 genes has twice the risk of developing ovarian cancer.

Factors reducing ovarian cancer

On the other hand, there are factors that have been shown to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer:

  • Use of oral contraceptives for a period of three or more years reduces the risk by up to 50%.
  • Tubal ligation
  • Hysterectomy
  • Having one or more children before age 30
  • Breastfeeding

Treatment for ovarian cancer

The main treatment for this type of cancer is surgery. Cytoreduction surgery consists of the excision, commonly known as ablation, of the ovaries, uterus, tubes, appendix, pelvic and aortic lymph nodes. Also, any gross disease in the abdomen. If the cancer has spread throughout the abdomen, exeresis is also performed on the spleen, small and/or large intestine, liver, pancreas, peritoneum and diaphragm. This type of surgery, if no tumor residue is left, is associated with increased survival.

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Chemotherapy does not have the ability to penetrate large tumor masses. This is why cytoreduction is performed first, as it allows chemotherapy treatments to be more effective.

In the case of this type of cancer, there is the possibility of administering chemotherapy intraperitoneally after cytoreduction surgery. This involves the placement of a catheter inside the abdomen, through which the treatment is injected.