FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Health experts say thousands of women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year.
Dr. Erin Blake is a gynecological oncologist at c-Care in northeast Fresno.
She explains that it’s often hard to detect ovarian cancer in its early stages.
“There’s no effective screening for ovarian cancer, and the signs and symptoms for ovarian cancer are very subtle,” she said.
Symptoms include bloating, pelvic pain, decreased appetite or feeling full too quickly, just to name a few.
The American Cancer Society says the disease mainly affects older women, and about half of those diagnosed with ovarian cancer are in their 60’s.
Younger women are also at risk, and it can impact chances of fertility.
“It often is hard to safely maintain that fertility because ovarian cancer is more aggressive and needs aggressive treatment,” Dr. Blake said.
Doctors say treatment options usually include a combination of chemotherapy and surgery.
From 2012 to 2021, the incidents of ovarian cancer went down by almost 2 percent.
Health experts are attributing the drop to some common family planning practices.
“Reduction of the number of times that you ovulate,” Dr. Blake said. “We see substantial reduction in your risk of ovarian cancer by using hormonal contraceptives because you’re ovulating less.”
There is also another life-saving measure to help reduce the risk.
“When you’re done with fertility, removal of the fallopian tubes, or what’s called a salpingectomy,” Dr. Blake said.
Since 1976, ovarian cancer deaths have dropped by 43%, leaving many hopeful in the fight for improved women’s health.
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