Understanding Ovarian Cancer
- A 58-year-old wife and mom-of-two was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2014, and now she’s telling her story to inspire others that they, too, can beat the disease.
- Ovarian cancer has often been called the "cancer that whispers" since women often don't experience symptoms until the disease has reached its later stage.
- Many ovarian cancers actually begin in the fallopian tubes. A few cancerous cells first grow on the fallopian tubes and then, as the fallopian tubes brush over the ovary, these cells stick to the ovaries and eventually grow to form a tumor.
Sweet, of O’Leary in Canada’s Prince Edward Island, progressively worsened after her June 2014 knee injury and visited many doctors until three months later when her husband Glen discovered her on the floor and rushed her to Prince County Hospital.
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"I was told if my cancer comes back, it will come back very quickly. It was like a wake-up call. I started developing the attitude if I get another year, I'll live for that. I have been very lucky. There have been no recurrences,” Sweet, who is in remission and hopes to inspire others battling cancer, explained. And, she plans to take part in the Ovarian Cancer Walk of Hope in Charlottetown next month.
Statistics show that one out of every two women with ovarian cancer in Canada doesn’t live past five years, but Sweet wants to help others fighting cancer to keep the faith. "I want to give those who are battling some hope that they can survive this,” Sweet said.
Speaking about an upcoming walk, she added, “There may not be many survivors (there), but there will be families of people (affected by the disease) who want to see change and better statistics. Me? I just want to be the survivor's voice. That's all I wanted to hear before someone who is still alive with ovarian cancer.”
Understanding Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer has often been called the "cancer that whispers" since women often don't experience symptoms until the disease has reached its later stage.
The term ovarian cancer refers to a number of different tumors that grow in the ovary. The ovaries produce the sex hormone, estrogen, as well as eggs. Every woman has two ovaries, one on either side of her uterus. The fallopian tube picks up the egg from the ovary and carries it to the uterus for fertilization.
Many ovarian cancers actually begin in the fallopian tubes. A few cancerous cells first grow on the fallopian tubes and then, as the fallopian tubes brush over the ovary, these cells stick to the ovaries and eventually grow to form a tumor.
Dr. Monica Vetter, a gynecological oncologist at Baptist Health Medical Group in Lexington, Ky., previously told SurvivorNet that most ovarian cancer cases are caught in stage 3 or stage 4, as it's a difficult cancer for which to screen. And about 70% to 80% of those women are going to have their cancer come back within the first five years.
Genetic Testing Can Offer Valuable Information About Ovarian Cancer Risk
However, despite these daunting statistics, genetic testing for ovarian cancer can lead to life-saving actions and screening tests for early detection.
And when it comes to ovarian cancer, which is curable in more than 90% of cases when diagnosed early enough, genetic testing can be a valuable option.
Diagnosing Ovarian Cancer
"Because the symptoms are often negligible and easy to dismiss, ovarian cancer can be one of those stealth illnesses that go unnoticed until it's reached a late stage," Dr. Beth Karlan, a gynecologic oncologist at UCLA Medical Center, previously told SurvivorNet.
"After all, who hasn't felt overly full on occasion? Or needed to urinate a little more often than normal? Because most, but not all, cases occur in menopausal women, the bloating, pelvic pain, and other symptoms may seem unremarkable when so many other things are going on within a woman's reproductive organs."
Dr. Karlan explained that these factors explain why there is an average delay of nine months between when a woman first experiences symptoms of the disease and her diagnosis.
She encourages women who experience the following symptoms for a week or more to see their doctor and ask for an ovarian cancer screening. Those with a history of the disease should do the same after 30, if not sooner, even if they are not yet experiencing symptoms.
- Bloating
- Severe pelvic or abdominal pain
- Difficulty eating or a feeling of fullness that makes it painful to eat
- Sudden and frequent urges to urinate
- Fatigue
- Upset stomach
- Back pain that can feel similar to a UTI
- Pain during sex
- Constipation
- Heavier than usual menstruation or spotting
- Distended stomach or abdominal swelling coupled with weight loss
Ways To Diagnose Ovarian Cancer
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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