An accurate test for early detection of ovarian cancer does not currently exist. Pelvic ultrasounds and screening for the Ca-125 marker have not been proven as efficient methods.
Angelique, who has ovarian and uterine cancer, tells you how she discovered her disease and how she was followed by her doctors during her treatment.
feeling of abdominal heaviness
unexplained weight gain
an increase in abdominal circumference
altered bowel movements
urinary disorders
Fatigue
Loss of appetite
Although none of the above symptoms are 100% specific to ovarian cancer, you should consult a health care practitioner if they are intense and/or persist over time.
An accurate test for early detection of ovarian cancer does not currently exist. Pelvic ultrasounds and screening for the Ca-125 marker have not been proven as efficient methods.
Most often, symptoms lead to abdominal and pelvic ultrasound. If a malignant ovarian lesion is suspected, a lumbopelvic MRI is recommended.
It takes about a week to receive the biopsy results.
Women of childbearing age (15-49 years old on average) ovulate once a month. During this process, called ovulation, the ovaries produce a mature egg (ovum) which migrates to the uterine cavity to be potentially fertilized. Ovulation also causes the secretion of hormones and inflammatory materials and the repeated scarring of the ovary’s surface, factors which can each lead to cancer. Thus, a higher number of ovulations correlates to a higher risk, as does:
The absence of pregnancy
Early menstruation
Late menopause
Overweight or obesity
Finally, the main risk factor is an inherited genetic anomaly.
Predisposing factors are responsible for 15 to 20% of high-grade ovarian cancer cases. These are mainly abnormalities of the BRCA 1 or 2 genes or, more rarely, of Lynch syndrome.
In the event you are diagnosed with a high-grade epithelial tumor, medical staff should automatically suggest that you be tested for these anomalies.
In case of a localized tumor, surgical treatment will be recommended. If the cancer is more advanced, chemotherapy combined with targeted anti-angiogenic perfusion therapy will be continued as “maintenance” for 15 months. If the disease is due to a BRCA mutation, the anti-angiogenic targeted therapy will be replaced by a specific oral targeted therapy for at least 2 years.
If extension is limited, surgery will be performed first followed by systemic treatment.
If immediate resection of the tumor is not possible, 3 to 4 cycles of chemotherapy will be performed, followed by an “interval” surgery, provided that there has been a satisfactory response to the chemotherapy.
