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This page explains the difficulties in diagnosing ovarian cancer, lists the stages of ovarian cancer and outlines the general treatment procedures.
Detection and Diagnosis
Women have become educated on early diagnosis procedures for breast and cervical cancers. Unlike these other cancers affecting women, there is no reliable screening test for ovarian cancer at present. Tumors are difficult to detect in the early stages because the ovaries are deep within the body. Clinical examination lacks the specificity and sensitivity to reliably identify ovarian cancer in its earliest stages. While the Pap text helps find cervical cancer early, it is not useful in finding ovarian cancer.
Currently, a biopsy is the only way to diagnose ovarian cancer; however a biopsy is not usually done in the early stages of symptoms. In addition, Ultrasound, Computed Tomography (CT Scan) and/or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) may be used to suggest a diagnosis; but are not used to making a diagnosis.
Experts recommend that women at high risk receive the CA125 blood test every 3 months and receive a transvaginal Ultrasound every 6 months starting at the age of 35. Consideration should be given to a pelvic sonogram as well. If a woman’s mother had ovarian cancer, her own screening should begin at 35 or at 5 to 10 years before the age her mother was when she contracted ovarian cancer, whichever is earliest.
When ovarian cancer is diagnosed, it is staged to indicate how far the disease has progressed. Cancers at different stages are treated differently.
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Cancer is contained within the ovary or ovaries |
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Cancer has spread to other organs in the pelvis, such as the bladder, rectum or uterus. |
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Cancer has spread to the lining of the abdomen of the lymph nodes |
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Cancer has spread to distant organs, such as the liver or lungs
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Cancer has returned following treatment
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Almost 75% of ovarian cancer patients are diagnosed in Stage III or beyond. The five year survival rate for Stage III is only 35% compared with 90% for patients diagnosed in Stage I.
Treatment Procedures
Treatment for ovarian cancer typically begins with surgery to remove the cancerous growth, followed by chemotherapy drugs. Many times a second-look surgery is performed to determine if there are any more cancer cells present. Radiation is rarely used for ovarian cancer, but my be necessary as part of the treatment.
Please return to our website for more information as we gather more of the latest data to share with you.
See information below for more information about the Low Risk Ovarian Cancer Study the Tracy Jo Wilson Ovarian Cancer Foundation is sponsoring in North Texas.
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