When there is an aberrant cell proliferation in the ovaries, ovarian cancer develops. The cells can invade and damage healthy tissue throughout the body and reproduce swiftly. The female reproductive system has two ovaries on each side of the uterus. These ovaries are responsible for egg production. Ovarian cancer treatment often consists of both chemotherapy and surgery.
Diagnosis
The following diagnostic techniques and tests help establish a diagnosis of ovarian cancer:
Pelvic Exam
Your doctor will palpate (feel) your pelvic organs during a pelvic exam by placing gloved fingers into your vagina and pressing a hand on your belly. It allows the doctor to feel your pelvic organs. In addition to this, the doctor will visually inspect your vagina, cervix, and external genitalia.
Imaging Testing
It may be possible to identify your ovaries’ size, shape, and structure through diagnostic procedures and ovarian cancer treatment like ultrasound or CT scans of your abdomen and pelvis.
Blood Testing
In part, your general health may be determined by the results of organ function tests that may be included in your blood test. Your physician may also do a tumor marker blood test to determine whether or not you have ovarian cancer. For instance, an ovarian cancer cell’s surface protein may be identified using a cancer antigen (CA) 125 test. This protein is often present in the cells that comprise the cancerous tumor. Your doctor won’t be able to determine from these tests whether or not you have cancer, but they may give some insight into the diagnosis and outlook of your condition.
Surgery
Your doctor may not be able to give you a definitive diagnosis for ovarian cancer treatment until you have had surgery to remove one of your ovaries and had the tissue examined for indications of cancer.
Testing Of Genetic Material
Your physician may suggest doing a test on a sample of your blood to search for gene alterations associated with an increased likelihood of developing ovarian cancer. Your doctor will be better able to determine the best course of therapy for you if they are aware of any inherited changes in your DNA. Experts recommend that you discuss this information with your close blood relatives, such as your children and siblings, since it is possible that they, too, might be at risk of having the same gene mutations.
Your doctor will assign a stage to your disease based on the information gleaned from your tests and treatments once it has been established that you have ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer may go through various phases, numbered from one to four, which are sometimes denoted using the Roman numerals I to IV. At this stage, ovarian cancer is considered its earliest and most treatable stage. At stage 4 of the disease, cancer has already spread to other body parts.
Conclusion
It may be challenging for you to choose the therapy that is ideal for you. Have a conversation with your cancer specialist for ovarian cancer treatment about the many treatment choices available for the kind and stage of cancer you have. Your healthcare provider will be able to discuss the potential drawbacks and advantages of each treatment option with you. How a medicine or therapy causes your body to respond is a side effect. It’s not uncommon for folks to consult with many oncologists before deciding. A “second opinion” is what you get in this situation. It’s possible that getting a second opinion on your treatment options can help you choose the one that’s best for you.
