Ovarian cancer and pregnancy

Should a woman worry if she is found to have an ovarian cyst during her pregnancy?

In most cases, no. Ovarian cysts are rather common in pregnancy, especially in the first half. The overwhelming majority of these cysts are innocent, the so-called "functional cysts".

If an ovarian cyst is found while performing an ultrasound scan of the pelvis in pregnancy, the features are analyzed to see if it looks suspicious. It is usually checked with a follow- up ultrasound. If it appears to be increasing in size or changing in character, an operation will be performed to remove the cyst, usually around sixteen to twenty weeks of gestation. 

This poses little risk to the pregnancy, is technically not difficult to perform and avoids undue delay in confirming diagnosis. Small cysts of less than 8 cm diameter do not merit any intervention, provided they are not growing. 
Surgery to remove cysts could be done by laparoscopy (keyhole) where facilities and expertise is available.

Are there any other potential complications of an ovarian cyst in pregnancy?

Yes. About one in six large ovarian cysts in pregnancy undergo torsion or twisting, which causes quite severe pain. This normally occurs in the first half of pregnancy and is rarer in advanced pregnancy. Torsion can also occur a few days after delivery.

If ovarian cancer is diagnosed during pregnancy, what are the options?

It depends on the type of ovarian cancer, the stage of the disease and the patient's wishes. 

Most types of ovarian cancer can be treated adequately with surgery where the ovary and tube are removed and the pregnancy is left to continue. This is provided that the disease is caught at an early stage. If it is more advanced, more extensive surgery may be required while still preserving the pregnancy. The surgery will be followed by chemotherapy which, beyond the first twelve to fifteen weeks of pregnancy, is considered safe for the fetus. 
Surgery can, of course, provoke a miscarriage.

Are there forms of ovarian cancer that require treatment with radiotherapy?

Yes. There is a form of ovarian cancer - relatively common in the younger woman - which responds quite well to radiotherapy. It is called a "dysgerminoma". 

The best treatment for the disease in the early stages is still surgery but, if it is more advanced, radiotherapy may be necessary for a complete cure. 

If the diagnosis is made in early pregnancy, the radiotherapy part of treatment may be deferred until the fetus is viable. This approach requires very careful analysis of all the factors and, of course, the mother's wishes.

How common is ovarian cancer in pregnancy?

Rare. The estimated figure is one in 20,000. An average district hospital with 2,500 deliveries per year will encounter a case of ovarian cancer in pregnancy once every eight to ten years.

Ovarian Cancer Survival : The importance of early detection

Buried in the basin, the ovaries are difficult to examine. Thus, cancers affecting them are often discovered late. If improvements are to provide treatment, the prognosis remains closely linked to early care.

Ovarian cancer is the fifth largest female cancers in US, with 4 000 new cases per year. But his prognosis remains very bleak as it is often discovered at a late stage. Panorama from an unknown disease.

Ovarian cancer is relatively uncommon. All too often discovered at a late stage, this cancer is difficult to treat. As it is detected late, ovarian cancer has a fairly bleak prognosis. Each year, 3 800 american die from that cancer. The survival rate of ovarian cancer is just over 30% in 5 years, while for breast cancer, it is about 75%.

Few women are genetically predisposed to ovarian cancer. Genetic factors were responsible for 5 to 10% of cancers of the ovary. Between 160 and 320 women are suffering from a hereditary cancer of the ovary annually. Family mutations of certain genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2 rarely, are known to predispose strongly to this cancer, with an earlier age (before age 50). Alteration of these genes is also responsible for predisposition to breast cancer.

Without beneficiating from screening test, ovarian cancer has long been nicknamed the silent killer because symptoms are supposed to appear at an advanced stage of the disease. But the results of a recent study could detect that kind of cancer more quickly.

Early detection is an incredible challenge: 70 to 90% of women with ovarian cancer detected at a primary stage are still alive five years after diagnosis against only 20 to 30% of those whose cancer was diagnosed at an advanced stage. And unfortunately, the second scenario is more often met ... Some figures show awareness of this scourge, female: 4 488 new cases and 3 508 deaths directly linked to the disease in the year 2006

Characteristic symptoms : Beware of the trio!

Researchers have followed 1 408 women who were asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire about symptoms experienced with the previous year. Among the proposed events can include pelvic pain, abdominal, low back pain, the urge to urinate, constipation, weight loss, unexplained, and so on. The severity, duration and frequency of these signs were also informed. The same procedure was conducted on 128 women awaiting surgery for pelvic tumors, including ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer is no longer the silent undetectable killer . Even women with cancer at preliminary stages have signs. Paying attention to certain symptoms (or rather their frequency or severity), it may be possible to react in time!

The diagnosis of ovarian cancer is based on clinical examination, gynecological and a determination of tumor marker, supplemented by medical imaging examinations, including pelvic ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging. But only the surgical exploration allows a complete diagnosis of the local extension of ovarian cancer.

>> Ovarian cancer and pregnancy

Ovarian Cancer – Pain Alleviation Methods

When the cancer in the ovary is detected early, then the chances for victorious treatment and the survival are possible. But in general the symptoms are very silent in the case of ovarian cancer and thus the ovarian cancer posses the habit of being subtle or do not highlight themselves till it progress to the advanced stage. The research study indicates that there are some general symptoms that may occur for the ovarian cancer. The women are expected to be familiar with the symptoms of the ovarian cancer and should go to the doctor when they come across any such symptom. It is also advisable for all the women beyond the age of 18 to undergo the pelvic exams annually.

The very common symptoms that may occur for the woman who has the ovarian cancer are the indigestion, change in the bowel movement and nausea. Pelvic pain may or may not be experienced by the women who have ovarian cancer. Some of the other symptoms that are associated with the ovarian cancer are the pain in the pelvic or abdomen, pressure, discomfort, swelling, gastrointestinal upsets like nausea, indigestion or gas, urgent urination, abnormal weight loss or gain and in particular weight gain in the region of abdomen, swelling in abdomen, pain during the intercourse, pain in the legs and bleeding in the vagina unusually.

A recent study in a journal also indicated that some of the symptoms are very common among the women who were affected with the ovarian cancer. The survey was conducted with the women with the ovarian cancer and without the ovarian cancer. The solution was that the women with the ovarian cancer had many problems in common and experience the same for more than 12 times a month. The common symptoms that are taken for the research study are the pain in the pelvic or the abdomen, bloating of abdomen, urgent urinary, frequency of urination, feeling heavy after little consumption and finding difficult to eat.

It is advised for those women with the above symptoms to consult the physician immediately who will perform various tests to know the severity and the nature of the cancer in the ovary. It is also suggested to meet the gynecologists preferably on daily basis for some weeks to have a complete study of the ovarian cancer.

These symptoms which are silent may sometimes highlight the ovarian cancer and its severity. One should be aware that the ovarian cancer in the early stage cannot be known by the affected person as she will not be getting any symptom for the same. She will be experiencing the discomfort or swelling in the lower abdomen as when the cancer grows in the ovary. As many symptoms will not occur till the cancer spread throughout the ovary, it will be ignored.

>> Ovarian Cancer Survival : The importance of early detection

What You Need to Know about Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is a cancerous growth in the ovary. A cancerous growth means that there is mass of malignant substance growing in the affected area... The fallopian tube is considered to be the common area where ovarian cancer occurs. Next to breast cancer, ovarian cancer is the second leading cause of death among women due to gynecologic infections.

The Silent Killer

In most medical journals and publications, ovarian cancer is known as the silent killer because the symptoms its causes are often inconclusive and may vary from case to case, which causes delay in prognosis wherein the disease is discovered only in the later stages.
Despite the variation in symptoms, the following are the most common complaints of those who suffer from ovarian cancer:

1. Abdominal pain
2. Back pain
3. Urinary urgency
4. Constipation
5. Tiredness
6. Pelvic pain
7. Vaginal bleeding
8. Weight loss

Despite the long list of the symptoms manifested by those who suffer from ovarian cancer, it does not totally contribute to an early and accurate detection of the disease because the abovementioned symptoms are also commonly encountered by women suffering from other less serious maladies... Women who suffer from ovarian cancer report that the symptoms they feel are persistent wherein the frequency and the number of symptoms represent a key factor in diagnosing the disease.

>> Ovarian Cancer – Pain Alleviation Methods

Drinking Tea May Guard Against Ovarian Cancer

Consuming two or more cups of tea a day over a period of time may reduce the risk of ovarian cancer dramatically, suggests a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. And each additional cup of tea per day appears to provide significantly more protection, investigators found.

Because tea is the second most-consumed beverage in the world, its potential health benefits could have important implications for human health and disease prevention, says the Tea Council of the USA.

"An abundance of research suggests that tea may play a role in the reduction of risk of cardiovascular disease and various types of cancer," notes Joe Simrany, president of the trade organization. "These new findings suggest that drinking tea regularly may help to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer as well. This is good news and points to yet another area where tea may have a positive effect on health."

46 Percent Lower Ovarian Cancer Risk
Researchers at Sweden's National Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, examined the association between tea consumption and risk of ovarian cancer in 61,057 women 40 to 76 years of age who took part in the population-based Swedish Mammography Cohort.

The participants completed a validated 67-item food frequency questionnaire at enrollment between 1987 and 1990, and were followed for cancer incidence through December 2004.

At baseline, 68 percent of the participants reported drinking tea -- primarily black tea -- at least once a month. During 15.1 years of follow-up, 301 women were diagnosed as having epithelial ovarian cancer. The researchers found tea consumption of two or more cups of tea per day had a significant inverse association with risk of ovarian cancer.

Specifically, women who drank two or more cups of tea per day experienced a 46 percent lower risk of ovarian cancer, compared with women who drank no tea. Each additional cup of tea was associated with an 18 percent decreased risk of ovarian cancer.

Additional Health Benefits

A multitude of research studies suggest that drinking tea may contribute to overall health. Potential benefits include the following:

• Reduced risk of heart attack and stroke, and improved blood vessel function
• Less risk of certain cancers, including colorectal and skin cancers;
• Decreased levels of oxidative DNA damage and increases in antioxidant levels in the bloodstream; and
• Oral health benefits -- researchers believe certain compounds in tea may inhibit bacteria that cause bad breath and plaque, and the fluoride content in tea supports healthy tooth enamel.

>> What You Need to Know about Ovarian Cancer

Support Groups and Counseling For Ovarian Cancer

If you are living with ovarian cancer, it presents many new challenges for you and for your family and friends :

• You will probably have many worries about how the ovarian cancer will affect you and your ability to "live a normal life," that is, to care for your family and home, to hold your job, and to continue the friendships and activities you enjoy.
• Many people feel anxious and depressed. Some people feel angry and resentful; others feel helpless and defeated.

For most people with cancer, talking about their feelings and concerns helps :

• Your friends and family members can be very supportive. They may be hesitant to offer support until they see how you are coping. Do not wait for them to bring it up. If you want to talk about your concerns, let them know.
• Some people do not want to "burden" their loved ones, or they prefer talking about their concerns with a more neutral professional. A social worker, counselor, or member of the clergy can be helpful if you want to discuss your feelings and concerns about having ovarian cancer. Your gynecologist or oncologist should be able to recommend someone.
• Talking to other people who have cancer has profoundly helped many people. Sharing your concerns with others who have been through the same thing can be remarkably reassuring. Support groups of people with cancer may be available through the medical center where you are receiving your treatment. The American Cancer Society also has information about support groups all over the United States.

>> Drinking Tea May Guard Against Ovarian Cancer

Nutrition and Physical Activity, Follow Care and Complementary Medicine for Ovarian Cancer

Nutrition and Physical Activity

It is important for woman with ovarian cancer to take care of themselves taking care of yourself includes eating well and staying as active as you can you need the right amount of calories to maintain a good weight. You also need enough protein to keep up your strength. Eating well may help you feel better and have more energy.

Sometimes, especially during or soon after treatment, you may not feel like eating. You may be uncomfortable or tired. You may find that foods do not taste as good as they used to. In addition, the side effects of treatment (such as poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, or mouth sores) can make it hard to eat well. Your doctor, a registered dietitian, or another health care provider can suggest ways to deal with these problems.

Many women find they fell better when they stay active. Walking, yoga, swimming, and other activities can keep you strong and increase your energy. Whatever physical activity you choose, be sure to talk to your doctor before you start. Also, if your activity causes you pain or other problems, be sure to let your doctor o nurse know about it.

Follow-up care

You will need regular checkups after treatment for ovarian cancer. Even when there are no longer any signs of cancer. The disease sometimes returns because undetected cancer cells remained somewhere in your body after treatment.

Complementary medicine

It’s natural to want to help yourself feel better. Some people with cancer say that complementary medicine helps them feel better. An approach is called complementary medicine when it is used along with standard cancer treatment. Acupuncture, massage therapy, herbal products, vitamins or special diets, and meditation are examples of such approaches.

Talk with your doctor id you are thinking about trying anything new. Things that seem safe, such as certain herbal teas, may change the way our ovarian cancer treatment works. The changes could be harmful, and certain complementary approaches could be harmful even if used alone

>> Support Groups and Counseling For Ovarian Cancer