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Navy Hospital Screens Women for 'Silent Killer' Disease
Story Number: NNS031002-11
Release Date: 10/2/2003 6:02:00 PM
By Journalist 2nd Class (SW/AW) Sybil McCarrol, National Naval Medical Center Public Affairs
BETHESDA, Md. (NNS) -- Often called the silent killer, ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecologic disorder and the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths among American women.
According to the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, one in 57 women will develop ovarian cancer in their lifetime.
“Twenty-three thousand new cases are diagnosed every year,” said Lt. Cmdr. John Elkas, attending gynecological oncologist at the National Naval Medical Center (NNMC). “Only 25 percent of these cases are diagnosed early, which is unfortunate because early diagnosis is the key to saving patients’ lives.”
Unlike breast cancer, ovarian cancer patients cannot perform self-exams. There are no mammogram-like screening tools that are accurate in pinpointing the disease before it begins to ravish the body. Pelvic exams, which only allow doctors to rely on evidence that they physically detect inside the uterus, such as growths and enlargements, are considered to be a rough estimate by many experts, and are sometimes not accurate enough to reveal internal abnormalities.
Health care providers rely on data derived from annual pelvic examinations, pap smears and other cancer screening tools, such as mammography and colonoscopy, to reduce the risk of ovarian, cervical, breast and colon cancer. But they also rely on what their patients tell them.
“Patients must be in tune with their bodies, be aware of symptoms and communicate them to their doctors,” said Elkas. “Although the doctor performs exams, reads results and prescribes medication, only the patient truly knows how they feel. These tests cannot outright determine if a patient has ovarian cancer, but the good news is that they can still help the doc narrow down the symptoms and isolate the problem.”
Common symptoms associated with ovarian cancer include bloating, early satiety or a feeling of fullness after only a couple bites of food, an overactive bladder and unusual weight loss or gain.
Generally, if a patient experiences one or more of these symptoms for more than two or three weeks, they are advised to contact their primary care provider and request a gynecologic examination.
Other risk factors for ovarian cancer include women who fall into the high-risk category, meaning they have a strong family history of either breast or ovarian cancer.
Because 75 percent of cases present themselves in an advanced stage, ovarian cancer is often recognized only after it has spread outside the ovaries to the upper abdomen or other locations of the body. Doctors sometimes misdiagnose the earlier stages of the disease, because there are very few symptoms associated with it, and the few that do exist can also be attributed to other, less serious conditions.
The result of late diagnosis is often devastating. Currently, 50 percent of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer die of it within five years. However, when detected at an early stage, ovarian cancer is curable. Ninety percent of women whose cancer is caught early survive.
“We are trying to devise an accurate screening tool for ovarian cancer,” said Elkas. “We have great resources, plus professionals and patients so dedicated to the studies that we are closer than we have ever been.”
For related news, visit the National Naval Medical Center Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/nnmc.
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Healthwatch: September is Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month - 9/12/2003
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