Beware! Ovarian Cancer is on the Rise in Women

Women should become extra cautious as far as gynaecological cancers – such as breast, ovarian and cervical cancers are concerned

Beware! Ovarian Cancer is on the Rise in Women

Women should become extra cautious as far as gynaecological cancers – such as breast, ovarian and cervical cancers are concerned. In majority of women these cancers are being detected quite late in the advanced stages – owing to which, comprehensive treatment, cost of treatment and more importantly, survival rates are becoming drastically lower. According to several research studies and cancer statistics, late-stage cancer detection is rampantly prevalent in India. The scenario of ovarian cancer prevalence and detection is quite pathetic as there are no proper screening tests for detecting ovarian cancers in the early stages – where treatment is immensely possible. The silent, asymptomatic spread of ovarian cancer further hinders its early detection. Ovarian cancer has therefore become the third leading cancer in women in India after breast and cervical cancers. The best way to curtail the growth of this type of cancer is through mass awareness and screening – which helps in detecting early stage ovarian cancer.

An Overview of Ovaries and Ovarian Cancer

Ovaries are the female reproductive glands that produce eggs and female sexual hormones: progesterone and estrogen. They are located in the pelvic region. In ovaries, there are three main types of cells: Epithelial cells: present in the outer layers of ovaries (epithelial cells tumours develop from these cells); Stromal cells: female hormones estrogen and progesterone are produced in these cells (stromal cells tumours develop here); Germ cells: these cells produce ova or eggs (tumours that develop from these cells are called germ cells tumours). Majority of the ovarian tumours are epithelial cells tumours; the other types of ovarian tumours are rare.

Benign or non-cancerous ovarian cancer remains confined to ovaries, whereas malignant ovarian cancer spreads (metastasize) to other cells, tissues and organs. Epithelial ovarian carcinomas can spread to both pelvic and abdominal region and even to distal organs like lungs and liver during the advanced stages. Early stage ovarian cancer does not spread to other organs.

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