September is Ovarian Cancer Month in the US
September is Cancer Month or Cancer Awareness Month in many countries. In the US, September is Ovarian Cancer Month. I watched the show on cable three nights ago about cancer, a show sponsored by standup2cancer.org (a site maintained by the Steve Tisch Foundation). The show presented different cases of cancer like peri-ampullary cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, cancer of the blood, and many more. The stories of cancer victims and how their family members suffered were truly moving.
In general, statistics on cancer in the United States reveal that an average of 500,000 lives are claimed by this dreaded disease yearly. This is more than the number of lives claimed by wars. The fight against cancer then is a big war we can win.
As to ovarian cancer, reports have it that it is the most common cause of cancer death from gynecologic tumors in the United States. Early disease causes minimal, nonspecific, or no symptoms. Therefore, most patients are diagnosed in an advanced stage. Overall, prognosis for these patients remains poor. Standard treatment involves aggressive debulking surgery followed by chemotherapy. Approximately 22,430 new cases of ovarian cancer are diagnosed annually.
Overall, the prognosis of ovarian cancer remains poor, with a 45% 5-year survival rate. Approximately 15,280 women die every year in the United States from ovarian cancer.
Parity is an important risk factor. Women who have been pregnant have a 50% decreased risk for developing ovarian cancer compared to nulliparous women. Multiple pregnancies offer an increasingly protective effect.
The lifetime risk for developing ovarian cancer is 1.6% in the general population. This compares to a 300% increased risk when 1 first-degree family member is affected, rising to 500% when 2 relatives are affected.
In addition to this,
Epithelial tumors represent the most common histology (90%) of ovarian tumors. Other histologies include
- low malignant or borderline ovarian tumors
- sex cord stromal tumors
- germ cell tumors
- primary peritoneal carcinoma
- metastatic tumors of the ovary
Prophylactic bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy is indicated in high-risk women, particularly women with a genetic predisposition for ovarian cancer (ie, BRCA carriers). Surgical prophylaxis decreases the risk by at least 90%. Not all cases of ovarian cancer are prevented as women are still at risk for developing primary peritoneal carcinomas.
The Society for Gynecologic Oncology states that BRCA testing may be indicated when there is at minimum a 5% likelihood of carrying one of these deleterious changes.
Research findings also indicate that if you are Jewish and have ovarian cancer, your likelihood is 28%. If you are Jewish and your mother had ovarian cancer, your risk is well over 5%.
Let’s all stand up to cancer. There’s no better way in fighting this disease by contributing something to this cause. In my humble way, I’d like to spread the word. I stand up to cancer. Will you? 
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Tags: breast cancer awareness, cancer, Chemotherapy, colon cancer, health, leukemia, ovarian cancer month, Radiation Therapy
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Multiple pregnancies offer an increasingly protective effect of ovarian cancer? That’s good benefit of making lots of babies kahit wala ipakain huh? Di bale sampu anak wag lang magkaovarian cancer lol!
Thanks for the information fren, dami ko natutunan today dito sa magkasunod mong cancer awareness post.
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jessie reply on September 21st, 2008:
Fren,
That’s one reason why virgin nuns (or virgins, in general) are usually the ones who suffer from ovarian cancer. Their ovaries have never been used.
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