Ovarian Cancer - A Deadly, Silent Killer

Ovarian cancer is one of the "silent killers" of women in the United States. Nearly one-third of the women who present with symptoms do not receive the proper tests to rule out ovarian cancer from their medical practitioners. Ovarian cancer is the fifth highest cause of cancer deaths in women and is the leading cause of death from gynecological cancers.

One of the reasons ovarian cancer is so deadly is the symptoms are often vague, resemble other more common conditions, or are non-existent until later stages of the disease. The most common reported symptoms of ovarian cancer include: pelvic or lower abdominal pain or abdominal bloating, vaginal bleeding, unexplained back pain that worsens over time, increased urinary frequency or urgency and weight gain or loss. These symptoms can be misleading because they could also indicate heart attack, gall bladder problems, ectopic pregnancy and other conditions.

More than half the deaths from ovarian cancer occur in older women, between 55 and 74. But many younger women also die each year from ovarian cancer, with ¼ of the deaths occurring in women 35-54. Since no cost-effective method for testing for ovarian cancer is currently available, over 50% of women diagnosed are in the advanced stages of the cancer.

The risk of a woman developing ovarian cancer appears to be affected by several factors. The more children a woman has, the lower her risk for developing ovarian cancer appears to be, as is the case for women having a first child at an early age. Also, some studies indicate that women who have used oral contraceptives are at lower risk for developing ovarian cancer. Some oral contraceptives are more effective than others in reducing the risk, though.

A mutation in two genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, may increase a woman's risk of developing ovarian cancer and also breast cancer. This mutation may also increase the chances that a woman will be affected by either cancer at a younger age. Women with a history of breast cancer or a history of breast or ovarian cancer in their family may also be at higher risk for ovarian cancer.