What is Ovarian Cancer? In simple terms, ovarian cancer is the cancer of the ovaries. This type of cancer has affected, and continues to affect at least one-third of the women around the globe.
Ovarian Cancer is the fifth most common cancer among women; it also holds the highest percentage of mortality rate among other types of reproductive cancer detected in females.
What is ovarian cancer for medical specialists? Well, it is medically labeled as a “silent killer” because its symptoms are very mild, which made the detection even more difficult.
There are several factors that contribute to acquiring this deadly disease. These are as follows:
If a mother has more children and gave birth at an early age, she has lower risk of ovarian cancer compared to a mother who has fewer siblings and became a mother at a relatively older age.
Moreover, women bearing a family history of breast cancer have higher risks of acquiring ovarian cancer. Women within the age range of 55 years old and above have also higher risks compared to those whose ages are 35 to 54.
What is ovarian cancer to medical students? At the start of their course, these students initially define what ovarian cancer is. And, as they move along with their studies, they will discover that ovarian cancer, which begins in the ovaries, is definitely a killer disease that every woman must be properly educated of.
In reproductive terms, the two ovaries of females, located on each side of the uterus in the pelvis are used to make babies. How is it possible? Well, the female ovaries produce eggs called ova, which are also responsible for the production of female hormones, estrogen and progesterone. When these eggs pass through the fallopian tubes to the uterus, fertilization might occur and lead to developing into a fetus.
What is ovarian cancer to women who suffered from this disease? Women, who are positive of ovarian cancer, regard it as a fatal disease that ruined their lives.
And most of them are guilty of being unacquainted with various ovarian tumors that most often lead to ovarian cancer.
The two distinct types of ovarian tumors are as follows:
1.benign (non-cancerous) and;
2. the malignant tumor (cancerous)
If a woman has a benign tumor, it can still be treated by removing either the ovary or portion of the ovaries wearing the particular tumor. Whereas, malignant tumor, is a lot more complicated because it can spread throughout the entire body.
Elaborately, what is ovarian cancer? It happens when abnormal cells grow and develop in either of the ovaries. This common type of ovarian cancer is called epithelial ovarian cancer.
As what have been mentioned earlier in this article, ovarian cancer is a silent killer. Hence, if the symptoms are not detected in the early stage, there are great chances for it to be upgraded into an advanced disease. More often than not, victims of ovarian cancer are not aware that they are indeed positive of ovarian cancer. It is because the symptoms are vague and also common to other non-deadly diseases.
And so, medical specialists urge every woman to make a move now to know more about ovarian cancer. It is definitely a must for every woman to understand fully the answer to the question: What is ovarian cancer?
