Ovarian Cancer
What is Ovarian Cancer?
Ovarian cancer is the abnormal growth of malignant cells in the ovaries, the egg (ovum) producing part of the female reproductive system. Often, Ovarian cancer goes undetected until it has metastasized (spread) to the pelvis and abdomen. At this late stage, this cancer is difficult to treat. Ovarian Cancer ranks as the 11th most common cancer among women, and it is the 5th leading cause of cancer-related death for women.
What different types of ovarian cancers exist?
Epithelial tumors are both benign and malignant tumors that develop in the epithelium, the thin layer of cells that cover the ovaries. These tumors usually form on the ovaries of women who have stopped their menstrual cycle. Malignant Epithelial tumors are the most frequent and deadly of all types of ovarian cancers. Together, benign and malignant Epithelial tumors account for 90% of all Ovarian cancer diagnoses.
Germ cell tumors develop from the cells that produce the ova (eggs) in the ovaries. Most germ cell tumors are benign (non-cancerous), although some are cancerous and may be life threatening. Primarily, these tumors affect teenagers and women in their early 20s. The three most common germ cell tumors are teraomas, dysgerminomas, and endodermal sinus tumors. About 5% of ovarian cancer cases begin in ovary germ cells.
Stromal tumors form in the connective tissue cells that hold the ovary together and produce the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. Two common types of Stromal tumors are: granulose cell and sertoli-leydig tumors. These tumors are quite rare and are usually considered low-grade cancers.They make up about 5% of ovarian cancer diagnoses.
What are some symptoms of ovarian cancer?
Bloating
Pelvis o...
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...hter, or sister with ovarian cancer
A mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene is associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer
Being of North American, Northern European, or Ashkenazi Jewish descent
Women who have never had children, or women who had their first child after 30
Unexplained infertility
Women who started menstruation before age 12 and/or go through menopause later in life have an increased risk of ovarian cancer.
Women who have taken estrogen-only hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after menopause have a higher risk of ovarian cancer.
Early adulthood obesity
How can I prevent getting Ovarian cancer?
Taking birth control pills. Women who took oral contraceptives for three or more years are 30% to 50% less likely to develop ovarian cancer.
Breastfeeding
Pregnancy
Websites: http://www.ovariancancer.org/ http://www.ovarian.org/
often had 6-7 children by their 40s (expected to give birth and raise many children at this times)
The etiology of a teratoma is still not fully understood, since it pertains to the category of germ cell tumors. Even so, teratomas are most commonly found in certain organs, such as the brain, thyroid, liver, lungs, ovaries, and testes. Subsequently, teratomas are believed to be caused by the abnormal development or migration of either germ cells or embryonic (stem) cells during embryogenesis. If the teratoma is of germ cell origin, then it will be located in either the testes or ovaries. However, if it is derived from embryonic cells, then it can be located anywhere from the sutures of the skull, all the way down the coccyx. With this in mind, embryonic teratomas are congenital, which means they either exist before birth, at birth, or develop within one month after birth. Germ cell teratomas, are not believed to be congenital, but this is not known for certain.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common edocrinopathy affecting women of reproductive age globally. It is characterized by menstrual irregularities, hirsutism and obesity. Different studies worldwide have shown that prevalence of PCOS ranges from 5 to 10% (1-3). Yet, there has been no large scale study to gauge the burden of the disease in South Asia.
Over 95% of colorectal cancers are ad enocarcinomas. These are cancers of the glandular cells that line the inside of the colon and rectum. Other, less common type of tumors may also develop in the colon and rectum. Carcinoid tumors develop from hormone-producing cells of the intestine. Gastrointestinal stromal tumors develop in the connective tissue and muscle layers in the wall of the colon and rectum. Lymphomas are cancers of immune system cells that typically develop in lymph nodes but may also start in the colon and rectum or other organs.
..., t. t. (n.d.). Menopausal Hormone Replacement Therapy Use and Cancer - National Cancer Institute. Comprehensive Cancer Information - National Cancer Institute. Retrieved September 19, 2011, from http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/menopausal-hormones/print
Evaluating the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women who have undergone hysterectomy: A review of literature
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The risks of getting cancer in this day and age has been increasing at a rate that could be detrimental to the human race if we do not act now. It is scary to think that you or someone you love and care about will get some type of cancer in their life time. Although there are many different types of cancer that is in existence today, the main focus is breast cancer. We are going to explore the causes breast cancer, the stages, how we can treat it and what precautions that can be taken to help lower ones risk of getting breast cancer. In America a baby girl born today has a 1 in 8 chance of getting breast cancer sometime in her life. These statistics do not seem so scary until they are put into perspective. Every three minute a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer and one will die every 13 minutes in a given day. If these rates of breast cancer continue to rise there will soon be a one in one baby girl born that will et diagnosed with breast cancer. This is the future of our world that we are talking about here and no one seems to be changing the main factors that contribute to breast cancer. There are many different suspicious causes but one thing that is clear is that an unhealthy environment has an enormous impact on women and their development from babies to women.
Ovarian Cancer is a disease of uncontrollably dividing cancer cells in the ovary. Being one of the most devastating diseases to have, along with a limited number of treatment opportunities, it may feel like there has been a time stamp put on your life. With that said, there are four different types of ovarian cancer: epithelial tumors, germ cell carcinoma tumors, stromal carcinoma tumors, and small cell carcinoma of the ovary. Epithelium cancer is the fourth leading cause of death in women in the United States, killing approximately 140,000 women yearly.
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