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Ovarian Cancer Prognosis

In most cases, ovarian cancer prognosis is poor because symptoms do not generally appear until it has progressed to its later stages and the disease often goes undetected until the warning signs are apparent. Unfortunately, by this time, the cancer has often spread to other organs beyond that of just the ovary(ies) as the cells have shed into the fluids in the abdominal cavity and attached themselves to other tissues. There are some types of the disease however, that do exhibit symptoms that indicate ovarian cancer has developed and diagnosis can be made much earlier. It is then possible for doctors to initiate a treatment plan, such as a hysterectomy including the ovaries, to try to prevent the disease from spreading. The success rate for treating and curing ovarian cancer is determined by the type of cancer that has been found and the stage it has advanced to.

Researchers and scientists are working around the clock at many cancer institutes and labs trying to find a way to put a screening process in place that will accurately help detect ovarian cancer similar to that of the breast screening programs that are currently being used. However, at this point in time, there is no screening test available although other methods of testing for this disease are being developed to help improve the ovarian cancer prognosis for women. Research is also going on to determine what causes ovarian cancer and what factors may contribute to the disease developing.

Patients who have a family history or personal history of ovarian cancer should have regular checkups by their doctor or gynecologist to reduce the risk of the disease developing and going undetected. Those with high risk factors can be tested on a regular basis by the use of ultrasound, blood work, physical examination, and other techniques designed to help doctors diagnose the disease as early as possible, implement a treatment plan, and increase the chances of a better ovarian cancer prognosis for their patients. In many cases where risk factors are high, physicians or their schedulers will maintain a recall list to ensure that patients receive regular checkups.

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