Ovaries play a pivotal role in a women's reproductive system by making the eggs necessary for reproduction. However, like most organs in the body, ovaries can become cancerous, putting a women's life at risk. Ovarian cancer is the 5th leading cause of cancer related deaths in women ages 35-74 years with an estimated 1-2 out of every 100 women developing it at some point in their life (Torpy, 2011). Ovarian cancer is hard to detect and is often found after the cancer has metastasized to a point where the cancerous cells can no longer be managed or removed. The survival rate of ovarian cancer is relatively low due to the difficult detection of the disease. However, when found early, the survival rate of ovarian cancer reaches up to 90% (Pandit,
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Families with 'site-specific' ovarian cancer
2. Families in whome both breast and ovarian cancer predominate
3. Families characterized by cases of ovarian cancer in addition to cases of colon cancer in men and women as well as uterine cancer (Pandit, 2004).
If family history of the mentioned diseases is very high there are preventative measures a woman can take to ensure early detection. It is highly recommended that a woman with a very high predisposition receive a transvaginal ultrasound once or twice a year beginning as early as the age of 25 until around 70 (Pandit, 2004). Many doctors will also prescribe birth control pills to be taken for five years or longer to reduce the risk. Although, contraceptions used as prevention is considered to still be controversial as generational studies have not been completed, which means it may ultimately aid in the development of certain cancers (Pandit, …show more content…
The use of talcum powder has also been noticed in instances of ovarian cancer. As well as the occurence of Epstein-Barr virus, skin moles, and hypodontia, a condition at which an individual has missing teeth as a result of the failure of those teeth to develop (Cesario, 2015). There has also been common blood types found in women who develop the disease without a known family history. However, little testing has been done regarding blood type and ovarian cancer. Women can take protective steps in order to avoid outside factors imposing a risk of developing ovarian cancer. Breastfeeding has been studied to prevent or eliminate the risk associated with the disease. Birth control has been studied as a preventative measure in both women who have inherited a mutated gene as well as women with no known familial history, however, contraception as prevention is still being
Families with 'site-specific' ovarian cancer
2. Families in whome both breast and ovarian cancer predominate
3. Families characterized by cases of ovarian cancer in addition to cases of colon cancer in men and women as well as uterine cancer (Pandit, 2004).
If family history of the mentioned diseases is very high there are preventative measures a woman can take to ensure early detection. It is highly recommended that a woman with a very high predisposition receive a transvaginal ultrasound once or twice a year beginning as early as the age of 25 until around 70 (Pandit, 2004). Many doctors will also prescribe birth control pills to be taken for five years or longer to reduce the risk. Although, contraceptions used as prevention is considered to still be controversial as generational studies have not been completed, which means it may ultimately aid in the development of certain cancers (Pandit, …show more content…
The use of talcum powder has also been noticed in instances of ovarian cancer. As well as the occurence of Epstein-Barr virus, skin moles, and hypodontia, a condition at which an individual has missing teeth as a result of the failure of those teeth to develop (Cesario, 2015). There has also been common blood types found in women who develop the disease without a known family history. However, little testing has been done regarding blood type and ovarian cancer. Women can take protective steps in order to avoid outside factors imposing a risk of developing ovarian cancer. Breastfeeding has been studied to prevent or eliminate the risk associated with the disease. Birth control has been studied as a preventative measure in both women who have inherited a mutated gene as well as women with no known familial history, however, contraception as prevention is still being