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Ovarian Cancer: Change the Odds in Your FavorRonald Porep, Republished from SafetyIssues.com Issue 25 |
Volume 4 Issue 43June 2005 |
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The ovaries are best known for hormone
and egg production in women. The ovaries also make most of the female
hormones, including estrogen and progesterone. These hormones control the
development of certain parts of a female, such as the breasts, body shape,
and body hair. And the ovaries control the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. There are two ovaries in a womans pelvis, located on either side of the uterus. Ovarian cancer is a form of malignant tumor that can arise from different cells within the ovaries. However, not all tumors found in the ovaries are cancerous. There are three types of ovarian cancer. |
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| The most common kind of tumor is epithelial carcinoma. This tumor starts in the epithelial cells, which are found in the outer layer of cells in the ovaries. As the ovary enlarges with its tumor growth, these surface cells are often shed like snowflakes throughout the abdominal cavity. There they become implanted in the surrounding tissue as small tumor sites. The fatty apron that covers the stomach and intestines (omentum) is one of the most common sites for the spread of ovarian cancers. | |
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A second type of ovarian cancer is germ cell cancer which starts in the cells that form eggs in the ovary. Only about 5% of ovarian cancers are germ cell cancer. And the third type of ovarian cancer is stromal cell cancer which starts in the stromal cells which form the tissue that holds the ovaries together and produce female hormones. Only about 5% of all ovarian cancer is stromal cell cancer. Together, these types of ovarian cancer create the fifth most deadly form of cancer in women an estimated 25,400 cases per year resulting in over 14,300 deaths annually according to the American Cancer Society. |
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Now, there is no way to prevent getting
ovarian cancer simply because doctors at this time do not know exactly
what causes cancer. There are, however, factors life characteristics that change your chances of getting ovarian cancer. The factors that decrease your odds of getting ovarian cancer are known as protective factors. The factors that increase your odds of getting ovarian cancer are known as risk factors. You can tilt the odds in your favor by decreasing your risk factors and increasing your protective factors. Of course, as in all probabilities, there are odds you can not change. Examples: You face an increased risk of getting ovarian cancer if blood female relations aunts or mothers for examples have had the disease or if any blood relation such as fathers, grandfathers or even uncles suffered from any form of cancer. Another risk factor that you can do nothing about is aging. Older women have a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer. Epithelial ovarian cancer is rare among young women, but the incidence increases around the time of menopause and continues to increase as a woman gets older. And, women who had their first period before age 12 and women who reach menopause after age 50 have a higher risk of ovarian cancer. Even though you can not alter these factors, you can use them to motivate yourself to change the factors that determine the odds of you getting ovarian cancer which you can change. Get screened for ovarian cancer. Like many other cancers, the earlier you detect ovarian cancer, the better your chances are of beating it. Cancer does not have to be a death sentence as proven by the previous American Cancer Society statistics that show many people who get ovarian cancer do not die from it. Have a cancer expert determine your chance of getting ovarian cancer. These experts look deep into your family history and into your current lifestyle. They may advice you to make changes in your life. Avoid risky sex. There is evidence that having unprotected sex or sex with people whose background you do not know will increase your chance of getting ovarian cancer as well as AIDS, HIV and STDs. When you have sex with someone her or his sexual history becomes your sexual history. Choose the safe route here and have committed and protected sex. |
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Eat better. While there are no magical foods
to immunize you against any cancer, there is general evidence that your
general chances of getting any cancer are decreased by eating smart. Exercise too is not a magic amulet to ward off cancer though there are general indications that healthy exercise will decrease your chances of getting any type of cancer. Those life factor changes may be all you need to reduce your chances of getting ovarian cancer to an acceptable level. If the risk levels are still too high though, you can choose one of these two lifestyle choices. Get pregnant. Women who have never been pregnant are at a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer. The more times a woman has been pregnant, the lower her risk for ovarian cancer. Or, take birth control pills. Taking oral contraceptives for 5 or more years can reduce the risk of ovarian cancer by 50%. Make your choices with the guidance of your doctor of course. |
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If your ovarian cancer odds are still heavily
tilted against you, you should discuss tubal ligation with a cancer
expert. Tubal ligation is a sterilization procedure to prevent
pregnancy. For women with hereditary syndromes, who are not considering
more pregnancies, the surgical removal of the ovaries is one way to
greatly lower the risk of ovarian cancer. Studies have shown that women,
who have undergone a tubal ligation, lower their risk of ovarian cancer by
two-thirds or 60%.
There are no guarantees, of course, to
avoid cancer. |
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