OVARIAN CANCER: RISKS AND PREVENTION
Saturday, April 9th, 2011Ovarian cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death for women, killing nearly 14,000 in 2000. Because its symptoms are often nonspecific (vague feelings of stomach bloating, digestive irregularities, unusual amounts of gas or stomachaches), it often goes undiagnosed in its early stages. The most common sign is enlargement of the abdomen (or a feeling of bloating) in women over the age of 40. Other symptoms include vague digestive disturbances, such as gas and stomachaches that persist and cannot be explained.The risk for ovarian cancer increases with age, with the highest rates found in women in their 60s. Women who have never had children are twice as likely to develop ovarian cancer as are those who have. This is because the main risk factor appears to be exposure to the reproductive hormone estrogen. Women who have multiple pregnancies or use oral contraceptives, both of which inhibit estrogen, are at lower risk. In addition, having one or more primary relatives (mother, sisters, and grandmothers) who have had the disease appears to increase individual risk. With the exception of Japan, the highest incidence rates are reported in the industrialized countries of the world. New research indicates that mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes may increase risks.
PreventionA pivotal Yale University study indicated that diet may also play a role in ovarian cancer. Researchers found that when comparing 450 Canadian women with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer with 564 demographically similar, healthy women, the women without ovarian cancer had a diet lower in saturated fat. For every 10 grams of saturated fat a woman ate per day, her risk of ovarian cancer rose 20 percent. Conversely, women who lowered their saturated fat consumption by 10 grams a day experienced a 20 percent drop in risk. Every 10 grams of vegetable fiber (but not fruit or cereal fiber) added to a woman’s daily menu lowered her risk by 37 percent. The study also found that each full-term pregnancy lowered risk by about 20 percent and each year of oral contraceptive use lowered it by 5 to 10 percent. So, should you go out and get pregnant or start taking birth control pills to reduce risk? Probably not. Although isolated studies provide useful information that may lead to definitive results when combined with similar findings from other studies, when considered alone, they do not make for scientific certainty. However, such results, particularly when combined with cardiovascular risks and other health risks, may provide yet another reason to hold the fat – or at least cut down on your overall intake.To protect yourself, annual thorough pelvic examinations are important. Pap tests, although useful in detecting cervical cancer, do not reveal ovarian cancer. Women over the age of 40 should have a cancer-related checkup every year. Transvaginal ultrasound and a tumor marker, CA125, may assist in diagnosis but are not recommended for routine screening. If you have any of the symptoms of ovarian cancer and they persist, see your doctor. If they continue to persist, get a second opinion.*26/277/5*