Be Aware

Six Tips for Early Detection of Ovarian Cancer

• Schedule an early breast and pelvic examination even when you are feeling well.
• Promptly report persistent pelvic pain and/or pressure to your physician.
• Don’t dismiss persistent abdominal discomfort and/or bloating as just poor digestion.
• Research and report a family history of cancer by type and relative to your physician.
• A family history of multiple family members being afflicted with breast, ovary and/or uterine cancer may require closer surveillance than the average woman.
• Talk to your physician about unexplained weight loss.

The symptoms of ovarian cancer are often vague and subtle, making it difficult to diagnose.

Risk Factors

• Increasing age, with highest occurrence in women over 50
• Family or personal history of ovarian, breast, endometrial, or colon cancer
• Uninterrupted ovulation (having no pregnancies, infertility, low parity)
• Presence of gene mutations, especially BRCA 1 or BRCA 2

Prevention & Risk Reduction

• Use of oral contraceptives for more than five years can reduce your risk by approximately 50%
• Multiple pregnancies, having first full-term pregnancy before the age of 25
• Breast feeding
• Hysterectomy/Tubal Ligation substantially reduces risk
• Removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes (oopherectomy) dramatically reduces the risk of ovarian cancer. Primary peritoneal cancer which is microscopically almost identical to ovarian cancer can still occur but is infrequent.

Take Action

What do I do if I am concerned about my risk of ovarian cancer or have symptoms that persist and are unusual for me?

• Speak to your gynecologist for more information and have an examination. Be sure to discuss the possibility of ovarian cancer with your doctor.
  How is ovarian cancer diagnosed?
• Vaginal-rectal pelvic examination (also called a bimanual exam). This exam allows the ovaries to be examined from many sides. Every woman should undergo a rectal and vaginal pelvic examination at her annual check up with her gynecologist.
• Transvaginal Ultrasound. This test uses sound waves to create a picture of the ovaries, and can often reveal if there are masses or irregularities on the surface of the ovaries. It cannot determine if you have cancer but it can show characteristics that give different levels of suspicion.
• CA125 blood test. This test measures the level of a substance in the blood that may increase when a cancerous tumor is present; this protein is produced by ovarian cancer cells and is elevated in more than 80% of women with advanced ovarian cancers and 50% of those with early-stage cancers. Because CA125 misses half of early cancers and can be elevated by benign conditions, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) does not endorse using it to screen women at ordinary risk or in the general population.
• It is very important to note that none of these tests are definitive when used on their own. They are most effective when used in combination with each other. The only way to confirm the presence of ovarian cancer suspected by the above tests is through a surgical biopsy of the tumor tissue.
• The PAP test is used to detect cervical cancer, NOT ovarian cancer.

If tests suggest the possibility of ovarian cancer, seek a referral to a gynecologic oncologist:

• A gynecologic oncologist is a professional who specializes in treating women with reproductive tract cancers.
• Gynecologic oncologists are initially trained as obstetrician/gynecologists and then undergo three to four years of specialized education in all of the effective forms of treatment for gynecologic cancers (surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and experimental treatments) as well as the biology and pathology of gynecologic cancers.

Why is it so important to be treated by a gynecologic oncologist?

The importance of being treated by a gynecologic oncologist cannot be stressed enough. According to numerous medical studies, there are significant survival advantages for women who are treated, managed, and operated on by a gynecologic oncologist.

• Gynecologic oncologists are 5 times more likely to completely remove ovarian tumors during surgery
• 80% of ovarian cancer patients receive inadequate surgical debulking and staging from non-gynecologic oncology surgeons
• Survival rate and outcomes vastly improve with gynecologic oncologists

How can I find a gynecologic oncologist in my area?

Call The Gynecologic Cancer Foundation toll-free hotline at or visit them online at www.wcn.org

Cancer of the ovaries, the reproductive organs responsible for producing eggs and female hormones, is an insidious disease that can often strike without warning. Ovarian cancer is difficult to detect, as the symptoms of ovarian cancer are often vague and subtle, similar to those in other non cancer conditions affecting women. There is no effective screening test for ovarian cancer but tests exist that can identify women who are at higher risk for the disease.

Only 20 percent of cases are caught before the cancer has spread beyond the ovary to the pelvic region. When ovarian cancer is detected and treated early on, the five-year survival rate is greater than 92 percent. Sadly, though, most patients are diagnosed at advanced stages, and less than 50 percent of women survive longer than five years after diagnosis. The good news is that today 50 percent of women are surviving longer than five years after diagnosis–a marked improvement in the survival rate from 30 or more years ago when it was 10 percent to 20 percent.

Still, ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancers in the United States and is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among American women. The National Cancer Institute estimates 22,440 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the United States in 2017 and about 14,080 women will die from the disease.

Until we have better early detection tools, all women should be educated about ovarian cancer so they can get an early diagnosis and successful treatment. Listen to your body. Do not ignore symptoms. Be your own advocate with your physician.

The Queen of Hearts Foundation fundraising efforts help researchers:

• To find better tests that can diagnose ovarian cancer earlier and more precisely
• To understand what causes ovarian cancer
• To develop improved treatments

Do You Know the Facts? Test Your Knowledge & Tell a Friend

1. Ovarian cancer symptoms include:

• A. Pelvic and/or abdominal pain, bloating, or a feeling of fullness
• B. Severe headaches
• C. Shooting pains in the arms and legs
• D. Extreme sweating

2. Risk factors for ovarian cancer include:

• A. Inherited gene mutations
• B. Under the age of 40 with a personal or family history of breast cancer
• C. All of the above

3. Both breast and ovarian cancer can be caused by gene mutations.

• A. True
• B. False

4. A prophylactic oophorectomy is:

• A. The surgical removal of the cervix
• B. Removal of both ovaries and tubes for prevention of ovarian/tubal cancer in extremely high-risk patients
• C. A diagnostic and therapeutic procedure where a small amount of radiation is directed at the cancerous tissue
• D. An instrument used to view the ovaries

5. How is ovarian cancer usually treated?

• A. Cytoreductive surgery and surgical staging (removal of ovarian tumors)
• B. Chemotherapy
• C. Radiation therapy when appropriate
• D. All of the above

Answers

1. A. Abdominal bloating, pelvic and/or abdominal pain, and/or feeling of fullness are all symptoms of ovarian cancer in addition to vague but persistent and unexplained gastrointestinal complaints such as gas, nausea, and indigestion; unexplained change in bowel habits (constipation or diarrhea); unexplained weight gain or loss; frequency and/or urgency of urination; unusual fatigue; shortness of breath; and new and unexplained abnormal postmenopausal vaginal bleeding.

2. C. All of these factors make you at higher risk than the average woman. Several factors may increase your risk of ovarian cancer. Having one or more of these risk factors doesn’t mean that you’re sure to develop ovarian cancer, but your risk may be higher than that of the average woman.

3. A. Both breast and ovarian cancer can be caused by mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Women with a family history of breast and ovarian cancer, or a personal history for either, particularly if diagnosed before age 50, should be aware of increased risk for the other.

4. B. Prophylactic oophorecomy, or risk reducing salpingo-oophorectomy, is the removal of both ovaries and tubes for prevention of ovarian/tubal cancer in extremely high-risk patients.

5. D. All of the listed options are used to treat ovarian cancer. Treatment for recurrent ovarian cancer must be determined by a gynecologic oncologist.

 

 

The five-year survival rate for ovarian cancer has increased by only 8% in the last 30 years. Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancers in the United States and is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women. The American Cancer Society estimates that 22,440 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the U.S. in 2017 and about 14,080 women will die from the disease. It is an insidious disease that can strike without warning or cause.

We are at a critical crossroads for supporting research into unlocking the mysteries of ovarian cancer. You can make a difference by supporting the research of the Queen of Hearts Foundation.

Help us find a cure for ovarian cancer. Donate online and make a difference.

 

 

Passionate

The Queen of Our Hearts

Our mother Ann S. Dobbie had passion. Passion is someone with extreme and compelling emotion; with an intense drive for excitement, love and desire for happiness. It was her passion that inspired us to create the Queen of Hearts Foundation. The fact that she was taken away from us so incredibly fast, we became passionate in raising funds to find an early detection solution for ovarian cancer.

In July of 1999 our mother, best friend and the queen of our hearts, was diagnosed with a very rare form of ovarian cancer at the age of 65. She faithfully had a complete physical every year and a mammogram every six months. For as long as any of us children can remember, mom was always healthy and truly, the glue that held our family together. She was always taking care of our wants and helping us fulfill our dreams. On that sunny, summer day in July, after having a full physical several months before (with no signs of disease), our lives changed forever and it was our turn to take care of her.

She lived life to the fullest and always had a smile on her face. She had the ability to laugh a good laugh and find humor in her everyday life. Her life was focused around her family. She made holidays and birthdays so special. It isn’t surprising that she passed away on Christmas Day! It was her day to celebrate, as she had always prepared the celebration for each and every one of us for the past 50 years.

We love and miss you Mom!