70% of cases of ovarian cancer are diagnosed at an advanced stage

According to the National Cancer Institute, epithelial ovarian carcinoma is one of the most common gynecological malignancies, making it the fifth leading cause of cancer death in women. These are tumors that can come from the ovary, fallopian tubes or peritoneum. In the absence of specific symptoms, in most cases the disease is detected when ovarian cancer is already advanced.

Although it can affect women of all ages, its incidence increases after 55 years. One of the biggest difficulties of ovarian cancer is the lack of methods to detect it at an early stage..

The World Ovarian Cancer Day, which is commemorated today, is a date established by patient organizations to raise awareness of this women's cancer, which has the lowest survival rate, and on which there is still very little knowledge.

Gonzalo Giornelli (MN 95788), clinical oncologist, directs the Department of Genitourinary Oncology of the Alexander Fleming Institute and points out that "in the presence of a woman suffering from pelvic pain, digestive symptoms such as distention, constipation, post-ingestion fullness or difficulty in eliminating gas, the attending physician must suspect the diagnosis of ovarian cancer".

Since the main risk factor is genetic predisposition, there is no pathology prevention program, although diagnostic tests to identify potential gene carriers predisposing to the disease are available. . "Only patients with mutations in genes predisposing to bad and ovarian cancer (BRCA1 & 2), who pose a higher risk than the general population, may preventive surgery by removing the ovaries and / or bads after the mutation is detected, which decreases the risk of tumors in these organs, "explained Giornelli.

And after adding that "for some less common types of ovarian cancer, endometriosis may be a risk factor," he stressed, "the main risk factor is the transmission of BRCA 1 & 2 mutated genes predisposing to bad and ovarian cancer. "

However, only 14 to 20% of ovarian cancers are badociated with mutations inherited from these genes.

Most cases of ovarian cancer have an indication of genetic oncology counseling. The suspicion as to the hereditary origin of the pathology increases if there are bad, colon, uterine and ovarian cancers in the family. At present, transbadl ultrasound, which is now part of a woman's routine studies, can generate many false positives, which she considers to be an early detection method.

It is that 70% of cases are detected in advanced stages of the disease. "However, beyond the lack of effective screening methods, all women of childbearing age or should not perform annual gynecological controls, which include PAP, colposcopy, mammography / ultrasound and transbadl ultrasound", said Giornelli.

Once the disease is diagnosed and depending on the stage at which each patient is present, there are therapeutic alternatives that can improve the prognosis when they are badociated with the appropriate surgical treatment. The earlier the diagnosis, the better the survival of the disease.