Young Women as Potential Targets of Ovarian Cancer

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“…Cancer had now spread and I would need extensive abdominal surgery to save my life, and this would also take my fertility. I was heartbroken,” (Hactor, 2021, p. Ovarian Cancer Action) Gillian said in an interview with the Ovarian Cancer Action website. What is Ovarian Cancer? Generally, it is any type of cancerous growth that forms in the ovary. Cancer is a disease whereby there is the rapid growth of cells in a body part. Therefore, ovarian cancer is a rapid or uncontrollable growth of cells in the ovary. (Mayo Clinic, 2021); (National Cancer Institute, n.d)

Ovarian Cancer World Statistics

Ovarian cancer exists in the world as epithelial ovarian carcinomas, germ cell tumors, and stromal cell tumors Did you know that ovarian cancer stands the fifth in causing death among cancers infecting women's reproductive body organs? The risk of a woman getting cancer is 1 in 78 women. Sadly, the risk of her death from ovarian cancer is 1 in 108 women. (American Cancer Society , 2022) In the UK between the years 2016 -2018, 7,500 new ovarian cancer cases are 21 new cases each day. Unfortunately, there were 4,200 new death cases in the mentioned years! (Cancer Research UK, n.d) In Africa, by 2020 there were 24, 263 new ovarian cases and 17,008 death cases. (International Agency On Research of Cancer, 2020) With the above fatal statistics, ovarian cancer is an enemy within our bodies that needs to be fought with much unison.

Why and where young Women Are Targets of Ovarian Cancer

Did you know that a third of women who get ovarian cancer are below 55 years old? In fact, 1 in 10 ovarian cancer in women younger than 45 years old. ( Neha Pathak, 2021) From the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (1996-2001) on ovary cancer, they found that among 28,165 patients that: 400 were 30 years and below, 11, 601 were 30 -60 young, and 16, 164 were 60 years older. (J. K. Chan, 2006) There are many reasons why ovarian cancer is common among young women. They include: ( Neha Pathak, 2021)

• Obesity or being overweight

• Family history of having ovarian cancer

• Smoking

• Having children later or not having children at all

• Having had cancer

  
  

Furthermore, among 1 in 10 ovarian cancer cases is due to gene variants. That is the inheritance of this gene from the parents. According to Science Direct women leaving in North America and Europe have a high risk of getting ovarian cancer. According to the ovarian cancer rate per 100, 000 person-years in 2019, Africa had the lowest risks of ovarian cancer infection than other continents. The United Kingdom was the leading followed by Denmark then Russia. (Tai Lahans L.AC, 2007)

Example of a Young Victim of Ovarian Cancer (Gillian-Ovarian-Cancer-Journey) (Hactor, 2021)

“You know your body better than others”, Gillian said. Gillian is an ovarian cancer victim who was repeatedly misdiagnosed for 18 months, but she kept persevering until she was finally diagnosed with ovarian cancer aged 33. At this raw age, she has diagnosed with stage 3C low-grade ovarian cancer. Luckily, it would have waited due to corona pandemic delays, it would have progressed to stage 4 or even further. Before she could identify she had the disease she had weird symptoms like urine infection symptoms and bowel changes. With many appointments to reach many doctors Gillian said, “I struggled to try to live with the increasing weakness, fatigue, and lack of social contact, due to my body’s demand for rest.” Finally, she underwent surgery and recovery therapy. From the above real story, you can identify that due to delay and assurance she was about to delay the cancer treatment which surely needs early diagnosis and treatment.

Steps to reduce potential ovarian infection to young women

It is important to note that to achieve the above it will al depend in: (Macmillan Cancer Support, 2022) everybody effort, where the cancer is, the size and type of cancer, and one’s general body health. To best control ovarian cancer in young women general body health is required: Moreover, doing this will help prevent cancer: having a healthy lifestyle, doing exercise and taking healthy diet, taking an oral contraceptive (50% of women who take oral contraceptives have a lower risk of ovarian cancer). Moreover, avoiding carcinogens and early pregnancy and breastfeeding. (Fire Lands Health, 2021) To treat ovarian cancer this should be done: (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention , 2021)

• Surgery-for doctors to remove cancer tissues

• Chemotherapy- is the use of certain medicine to shrink or kill the ovarian cancer.

  
  

To sum up, Ovarian Cancer is an enemy within us. Therefore, we should protect our young women from it. All is by, campaigns and better health. Together we will “Kill” this killing cancer.

References

Neha Pathak. (2021, 05 04). Ovarian Cancer. Retrieved from WebMD/ Cancer Center.

American Cancer Society . (2022, 01 12). Cancer A-Z. Retrieved from American Cancer Society : https://www.cancer.org/cancer/ovarian-cancer/about/key-statistics.html#:~:text=Ovarian%20cancer%20ranks%20fifth%20in,is%20about%201%20in%20108.

Cancer Ressearch Uk. (n.d, n.d n.d). Ovarian Cancer Statics. Retrieved from Cancer Reaseach UK: https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/ovary.html

Centre for Disease Control and Prevention . (2021, 03 15). Gynecologic cancer. Retrieved from Centre for Disease Control and Prevention : https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/ovarian/basic_info/treatment.htm

Fire Lands Health. (2021). Reduce the Risk of Ovarian Cancer. Fire Lands Health, 1-5.

Hactor. (2021, June 02). News and blog/ Your stories. Retrieved from Ovarian Cancer Action: https://ovarian.org.uk/news-and-blog/your-stories/gillians-ovarian-cancer-journey/

International Agency On Research of Cancer. (2020, n.d n.d). africa-fact-sheets. Retrieved from Global Cancer Observation: https://gco.iarc.fr/today/data/factsheets/populations/903-africa-fact-sheets.pdf

J. K. Chan. (2006). Ovarian cancer in younger vs older women: a population-based analysis. British Journal of cancer, 1-1.

Macmillan Cancer Support. (2022, 01 24). Health A-Z. Retrieved from NHS/UK: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ovarian-cancer/treatment/

Mayo Clinic. (2021, 08 31). Health Information/ Ovarian Cancer. Retrieved from Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ovarian-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20375941

National Cancer Institute. (N.d, n.d). Cancer Types. Retrieved from National Cancer Institute: https://www.cancer.gov/types/ovarian

Tai Lahans L.AC. (2007). Ovarian Cancer. Science Direct, 1-1.