Ovarian cancer :symptoms,diagnosis and treatment

Ovarian cancer is a common cancer in women.It is the sixth most common cause of cancer death affecting to women.

Ovarian cancer has three types:The common type of ovarian cancer is epithelial type,about 90 percent of cases are epithelial type.That means arises cells from outside of the ovary.and the other types  germ cell type and stromal type.Germ cell type arises from the cells which produce eggs.And the stromal type of ovary cancer is rare seen.

The screening test for the ovarian cancer has not proven yet but vaginal ultrasound,blood test and  tumor markers ,are being investigated.

Symptoms and diagnosis of Ovarian Cancer

In ovarian cancer commonly has no any specific symptoms but some of them are ;
Painful intercourse 
Vaginal bleed or prolong menstrual bleeding
Swelling,cramps and bloating
Lossing weight,loss of appetite
Changed bowel habits,may seen diarrhoea or nausea

Staging
Ovarian cancer often presents when it has spread. A common staging system is the FIGO (International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics) system, which records the extent by whether it remains in the ovary, has spread to other pelvic structures or has spread into the lining of the abdomen with or without fluid (ascites). CT scans and blood test to measure CA125 are used.

Causes

The cause of ovarian cancer is not known, however risk factors include:

ageing (risk increases for women over 50)
family history
changes in the genes BRCA1 or BRCA2.
being of Northern European or Northern or Ashkenazi Jewish descent
early onset of periods (before 12 years) and late menopause
childlessness
infertility
first child after 30
never taking oral contraceptives
using oestrogen only hormone replacement therapy or fertility treatment.
Prevention
There is no proven method of prevention. Oophorectomy (removal of ovaries) in women with a strong family history does not always prevent cancer.

Treatment
Treatment depends on the stage of the cancer. Surgery is used to determine the extent of disease and, if localised, is the main treatment. If the cancer has spread, an attempt is made to remove as much as possible.

Chemotherapy, commonly with regimens containing cisplatin or carboplatin and paclitaxel or docetaxel, is used after surgery to try to eliminate all disease identified by scan and CA125 blood test. Chemotherapy can be injected into the bloodstream through the vein or instilled into the abdominal cavity or both.

With widespread disease, chemotherapy may be used first. Surgery after chemotherapy can assess response. Germ cell tumours can be cured with chemotherapy with PEB (cisplatin, etoposide, bleomycin).