Table of contents:
- When is early detection of ovarian cancer necessary?
- When you are at risk for ovarian cancer
- If you experience symptoms of ovarian cancer
- How to detect ovarian cancer
- CA-125 blood test
- Transvaginal ultrasound
- Biopsy
- What if the test results for early detection of ovarian cancer are positive?
In most cases, ovarian cancer is diagnosed at an advanced stage, namely stage 3 or 4. The reason is because the symptoms of ovarian cancer in the early stages are often underestimated or not realized at all because of the appearance of intense and vague acts. In fact, ovarian cancer can be prevented by early detection. So, how do you detect ovarian cancer earlier?
When is early detection of ovarian cancer necessary?
Based on a report from the American Cancer Society, only about 20% of ovarian cancer cases are diagnosed at an early stage. The rest, it is known that the cancer cells begin to spread to other surrounding tissues or organs. In fact, when this cancer was detected early, about 94% of patients lived more than 5 years after being diagnosed.
In some types of cancer, such as breast cancer, colon cancer, and cervical cancer, it is recommended that you start at the age of 21 years and over. However, there are no rules that specify when women should have a screening test for early detection of ovarian cancer.
In fact, there is no recommended screening test for ovarian cancer for women who have no symptoms and are not at high risk of developing this cancer. Although there is no recommended age for early detection of ovarian cancer, you can underline two important points.
When you are at risk for ovarian cancer
The cause of ovarian cancer is not known with certainty. However, health experts have found a share of things that can increase the risk, namely women who have passed menopause, are obese, have or are currently having breast cancer, and have a family history of breast cancer and colon cancer.
In women with a history of ovarian cancer, the oncologist will offer early detection tests such as the TVUS and CA-125 tests. Until now, scientists are still doing research to see if other tests could help detect ovarian cancer more effectively and have the potential to reduce the risk of dying from ovarian cancer.
If you experience symptoms of ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer often causes no symptoms. However, some have started to feel symptoms that are generally almost the same as other health problems, for example flatulence, constipation, and abdominal pain.
If other health problems are mild enough, it will get better quickly. However, in cancer these symptoms continue to appear and do not improve for up to 3 weeks. Now, if you experience these symptoms followed by common cancer symptoms such as weight loss, fever, and extreme fatigue, take these signs and symptoms as a warning.
You may need to visit a general practitioner first. If ovarian cancer is suspected, the doctor will refer you to a cancer specialist. After that, you will be asked to take a screening test for early detection of ovarian cancer.
How to detect ovarian cancer
Currently there are two tests that are used as a mainstay for early detection and diagnosis of ovarian cancer, namely:
CA-125 blood test
CA-125 is a protein produced by more than 90% of epithelial tumor-type ovarian cancers. This type of ovarian cancer indicates the occurrence of cancer in the cells lining the outer surface of the ovaries. This is the most common type of ovarian cancer in women.
However, high CA-125 levels are not always caused by ovarian cancer alone. Several other diseases can also increase the level of this protein in the blood, such as pelvic inflammatory disease or endometriosis.
In some cases it was also found that ovarian cancer patients were detected to have low levels of CA-125. The doctor may recommend this early ovarian cancer detection test again to confirm the results or consider further ovarian cancer testing.
Transvaginal ultrasound
If the doctor still needs further tests to make a diagnosis of ovarian cancer, transvaginal ultrasound is usually an option. This test is often abbreviated as the TUVS test. A person who is at high risk for ovarian cancer, it may be recommended to have regular screening tests.
Based on research, the TUVS test is promising because it can help diagnose cancer in its early stages (stage one).
This scan test can provide an overview of the condition of the ovaries and see the possibility of abnormal cells and tumors on the ovaries. This test also helps doctors to differentiate ovarian cysts from ovarian cancer cysts.
Biopsy
For a more accurate method, a biopsy procedure may be performed. How to detect ovarian cancer is carried out by taking a sample of the tumor in the ovary surgically. Then, this sample will be taken to a laboratory and viewed through a microscope.
What if the test results for early detection of ovarian cancer are positive?
If any of the ovarian cancer detection tests come back positive, you will be referred to gynecological oncology. This type of oncology treats cancers related to the female reproductive system, such as vaginal cancer, cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, and ovarian cancer.
After that, tests will be carried out to establish a diagnosis, so that the doctor can determine which ovarian cancer stage the patient has. Then, the doctor will recommend an appropriate ovarian cancer treatment.
