The American Cancer Society reports that ovarian cancer ranks fifth in cancer-related deaths among women. This year, about 19 000 women are expected to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and about 13 000 will die.
Ovarian cancer is not easy to detect and is usually fatal. Since various factors can contribute to the development of this disease, experts provided a new set of guidelines for preventing this deadly disease.
Potential Benefits from the New Recommendations
The Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA), with endorsement from the Society for Gynecologic Oncology, released new recommendations for preventing ovarian cancer. This new directive is intended for women who experienced high-risk genetic mutations or belonged to a family with a solid history of ovarian cancer.
Under this recommendation, experts advise removing a woman's fallopian tube to lower the risk of developing ovarian cancer. This method is recommended to women who are having children and would undergo gynecological operations for other reasons. Since most cases of aggressive ovarian cancers start from the cells in the fallopian tubes, this approach is considered practical.
Gynecologist oncologist Dr. Katharine Esselen from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center reports that "We've known for a long time that many hereditary cases of ovarian cancer likely originate in lesions in the fallopian tubes." She added that these groups of cancers are known as ovarian cancer, but most of them started developing in the regions within the fallopian tubes.
Although ovarian cancer cannot be cured yet, experts recommend strategies that can potentially prevent this disease. Ovarian cancer screening in the general public may discover cancer 18-24 months earlier, but it is ineffective in saving lives. Since no early detection test is available yet, doctors focus on approaches that work and can save thousands of lives.
This recommendation is not new for women with an average risk for ovarian cancer, as this strategy was discussed in 2019 during a committee opinion of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).
Understanding the Risk of Developing Ovarian Cancer
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is no sure way to know if a woman will potentially get ovarian cancer. Some women were diagnosed with this disease without being at high risk.
Having ovarian cancer is attributed to two major causes. Genetic mutation accounts for 20% of cancer development. On the other hand, the onset of lethal ovarian cancer is 70% due to the growth of cancer cells in the fallopian tubes. Removing these tubes while undergoing another pelvic surgery, such as tubal ligation or hysterectomy, will leave the ovaries intact and prevent ovarian cancer.
Aside from mutation and family history, other factors include age, endometriosis, and difficulty getting pregnant. A woman from a family with a history of breast, colorectal, and uterine cancer also has an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer. Fortunately, the risk can be reduced by pregnancy, breastfeeding, and oral contraceptives. Genetic testing is also recommended to determine if a person has inherited gene mutations.
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