Ovary cancer is historically known as a silent killer, because many of its first symptoms, such as bloating and constipation, are often not associated with serious illness. Ovary cancer is diagnosed in nearly 21,000 American women each year, but it is often detected at a later and less treatable stage.
Beyond his reputation, however, there are also a lot of false ideas, explains David A. Fishman, MD, gynecological oncologist and director of Cancer Center in New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medicine in New York.
Here, Dr. Fishman goes through some of the myths concerning the disease.
Myth 1: Symptoms of ovary cancer can hide others
The discomfort of ovary cancer is real, not vague. It’s more than you can confuse symptoms with other things. “Since your ovaries are surrounded by your intestines and your colon, you may think you have digestive problems, for example, if you feel pelvic pain,” explains Fishman. The solution is to always consider the possibility that discomfort can come from your ovaries. Any discomfort or pelvic pain that lasts more than a few days should be evaluated, he said. “During an appointment with any health care provider, be it your gynecologist or your [gastroenterologist]Make sure you ask for the evaluation of your ovaries as well.
Myth 2: There is no way to prevent ovarian cancer
There is no infallible way to prevent ovarian cancer, says Fishman, but you can do certain things to prevent them. “For example, the use of five-year contraceptive pills can reduce your risk by 50%, even in women who have a mutation like BRCA1 or BRCA2 which increases the risk of developing ovarian cancer,” he said. “If you don’t try to get pregnant, taking contraceptive pills for five years can help you.”
Myth 3: There is no final way to detect ovary cancer at an early stage
In fact, an ultrasound can quite well collect an ovarian mass. Capture: ultrasounds are not used as a screening tool, as the disease is relatively rare and the tests are expensive. “Until ultrasounds are the best imaging whose ovaries we need to assess,” explains Fishman. But because it is very expensive to detect so many women, insurance companies have not yet offered in the context of routine preventive care, he explains.
There is another reason why ultrasounds are not regularly made to detect ovary cancer, according to American Cancer Society. Studies on women at average risk of ovarian cancer have revealed that the use of testing for screening has led to more tests – and in some cases, surgeries – but have failed to reduce the number of deaths due to ovarian cancer.
Myth 4: Women with the BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation have the highest risk of ovary cancer
Yes and no. The risk of lifetime of being diagnosed with ovary cancer is less than 2% for those who do not have a high -risk mutation. For women with BRCA1 mutation, the average cumulative risk is 35% and for women with BRCA 2, the risk is 10 to 30%. But that’s not the whole story. Experts are increasingly learning about inherited changes, as well as acquired changes. “For example, you can be born without transfer, but you can be exposed to environmental toxins that lead you to develop one,” explains Fishman. “In the end, all cancers are due to genetics, but all genetic mutations are not inherited; some are acquired. It is unique to you.”
Myth 5: The CA-125 blood test is a useful blood test for detecting ovarian cancer
Not really. Doctors sometimes use this blood test, which measures the quantity of protein called CA-125 in the blood, as first passing screening to detect the potential presence of ovary cancer. But it has never been intended to be a diagnostic test, notes Fishman. “There are many types of ovarian cancer,” he says. “Some types do not produce this protein. So, its ability to detect ovary cancer at an early stage is less than 50%. ” However, it is useful when monitoring the state of the disease in some people who have already been diagnosed. “This is what it is approved for,” explains Fishman.
Myth 6: Ovary cancer is all about the ovaries
Not necessarily. There are in fact strong theories according to which the cancers of the ovary begin in the tubes of Fallone and spread to the ovaries, but the connection remains uncertain, explains Fishman. He is currently studying if the detection of the meadows in the tubes of Fallope and treating them will dissuade ovary cancer from developing.
The point to take away
Ovary cancer, marked by apparently mild early symptoms, such as bloating and constipation, is often misunderstood.
Some myths persist, as this ovary cancer begins only in the ovaries (while in fact, it can start in the tubes of fallopian) and that there is no way to reduce your risk of developing the disease.
By reading the facts behind myths on ovary cancer, you can know more about how this disease is detected and treated today.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Health-GettyImages-2182790211-a7c23e3ee2084d7281fb06a36c217ed1.jpg?w=390&resize=390,220&ssl=1 "How much strength in force do you really need to gain muscle? Probably less than you think")
