Ovarian Cancer Facts

• 2,500 new cases of ovarian cancer are diagnosed in Canada each year.
• 1,400 Canadian women die each year of this disease, making it the fifth ranking cause of cancer deaths.
• 60% of ovarian cancer cases are fatal, with women dying within five years -- one of the highest cancer death ratios for any malignancy.
• When National Ovarian Cancer Association began in 1996, less than 0.17% of basic cancer research funds were directed to this field.
• Cure rates are not significantly higher today than in the early 1950s.

• Ovarian cancer can occur at any age, although most cases affect women between 50 and 75 years of age.

Signs and Symptoms

The "disease that whispers" - symptoms aren't normally noticed until the cancer has spread outside the ovary.

Once spread, symptoms include abdominal discomfort, painless swelling in the abdomen, loss of appetite, nausea, weight loss, frequent urination, and constipation.

Risk Factors

• Family history of the disease
• A history of infertility
• Never having children
• Early menstruation
• History of breast, endometrial or colorectal cancer
• Late menopause
• Obesity

Prevention

• Oral contraceptives, taken for more than five years, can reduce incidence by 50%. With more than 10 years on the pill, the incidence rate drops another 25%.
• Surgical removal of ovaries or oopherectomy, in high risk cases.

Diagnosis and Screening

• Early detection of ovarian cancer increases survival rate to 80% from 15%.
• If the cancer has not spread beyond the ovary, patients have a 85-95% chance of living five years or longer with proper treatment.
• Early detection advantages can only be realized with established screening programs, yet to be developed.
• Tests currently available have limited effectiveness and, for widespread testing, are prohibitively expensive.
• Screening programs currently available include ultrasound, blood tests and preventive surgery to remove ovaries and lower death rate.
• To date, no readily available test has been effective in screening for ovarian cancer.
• If you have a persistent combination of the symptoms, contact your family doctor. Ask for a bimanual rectovaginal examination, a transvaginal ultrasound and a ca125 blood test.

For more information about ovarian cancer, its diagnosis and treatment, visit the National Ovarian Cancer Association at www.ovariancanada.org.