If ovarian cancer is caught early, 90 per cent of women will be successfully treated, says Elisabeth Ross, CEO of Ovarian Cancer Canada. Unfortunately, many women are diagnosed at an advanced stage because the symptoms can mimic a variety of different ailments and some doctors aren't familiar with them. The good news: Ovarian cancer is not that common – it affects only one in 70 women. And patients are living longer, says Dr. Barbara Vanderhyden, the Corinne Boyer Chair in Ovarian Cancer Research at the University of Ottawa. "We're now approaching [a survival rate of] five years as not being uncommon for many women when even 10 years ago that would have been considered extremely high."
Who's most at risk
Women ages 57 to 62; those who have had breast, uterine or colorectal cancer; women with the BRCA 1 or 2 genes; and women who have never been pregnant. Talk to your doctor about the potential for an increased risk of ovarian cancer from taking HRT for a long time.
Best ways to decrease your risk
Don't smoke; maintain a healthy weight through exercise. Obesity has been linked to higher risk. According to Vanderhyden, taking birth control pills is the best way to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer because they suppress ovulation.
Screening
In high-risk women or those with symptoms, a pelvic exam followed by a transvaginal ultrasound and a blood test for a tumour marker called CA125 is the most effective approach for detection, says Ross.
Ask your doctor
• About ongoing symptoms. "Women really need to take their health care in their hands," says Ross. For example, ask for more tests if your symptoms don't improve.
• To check your ovaries. Doctors should check for lumps on your ovaries during a routine pelvic exam. If it's painful or they can't access them, discuss additional testing, says Ross.
Breakthroughs in treatment
• Symptoms are now official. Ovarian cancer symptoms have been officially recognized by the American Cancer Society and the Society of Gynecologic Oncology of Canada. These include abdominal bloating or discomfort, changes in bowel function, unexplained weight gain, a distended abdomen, nausea and frequent urination. If these symptoms last three weeks or longer, see your doctor and explain your concern.
• Interperitoneal chemotherapy works. This method of delivering chemo directly into the abdomen "has really altered the landscape of how patients are treated," says Vanderhyden, adding that this method can increase survival rates considerably.
• Better surgery. Vanderhyden says that the removal of as much of a tumour as possible has had a big impact on survival rates. In the past, surgeons were less rigorous, falsely believing that chemo would kill off any remaining cancer cells.
• Promising drug therapies. More targeted therapies (drugs that zero in on how cancer cells work) are on the horizon, says Oza. One such drug, Avastin, coupled with low-dose chemo, has been shown in a preliminary study to be very effective in treating ovarian cancer that has recurred, he says.
• New blood test. Studies show that the He4 test, when combined with the CA125 test, improves early detection of ovarian cancer, says Dr. Marie Plante, a gynecologic oncologist at Laval University in Quebec City.
Fact: Ovarian cancer is not that common – it affects only one in 70 women. And now patients are living longer, too.
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