It is the tenth most common cancer in women, the fifth in mortality among all cancers affecting women, and the first in mortality among all gynecological cancers.
Worldwide, 250.000 new cases of ovarian cancer are registered annually, and 140.000 women lose their battle with this disease.
There are several risk factors that can affect the development of ovarian cancer:
- years of age
- number of pregnancies
- personal history of breast, colon or rectal cancer
- long-term use of hormone replacement therapy
- obesity
One of the risk factors is genetic predisposition - approximately 10 to 15 percent of ovarian cancer develops under the influence of mutated BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.
The presence of BRCA mutations is not limited to patients with a family history and young age.
Early signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer are non-specific, so the disease is usually detected at an advanced stage.
Non-specific symptoms to look out for are:
- swelling of the stomach
- sudden increase in body weight
- flatulence
- pain in the pelvic area
- feeling of pressure in the stomach
- a feeling of satiety immediately after starting a meal
- frequent and sudden urination
- pain during sexual intercourse
- prison, reports Mondo.
Bonus video:
