★ Only 25% of ovarian cancer cases are detected at an early stage.

Experts in obstetrics and gynecology from the Quironsalud Mother and Child Hospital of Seville note on the occasion of World Ovarian Cancer Day that only 25% of cases are detected at an early stage. Focusing on the importance of early detection is essential, knowing that survival rates double if the disease is detected in the early stages. Thus, since there are still no specific tests for the early detection of this type of cancer, gynecological tests continue to be the main tool for this.

Ovarian cancer accounts for 3% of malignant tumors and is the fourth most common type of cancer in women. The Spanish Cancer Registries Network (REDECAN), published by the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM), estimates that more than 3,700 cases of the disease will be diagnosed in Spain this year 2024. Although there are several types of ovarian cancer, the most common are so-called epithelial carcinomas, which arise in the cells that cover the outer surface of the ovary and account for 85-90% of all cases diagnosed.

Ovarian cancer usually causes no symptoms in its early stages, making it virtually invisible. José Antonio Vargas, head of the obstetrics and gynecology service at the Quironsalud Mother and Child Hospital of Seville, notes in this sense that “70% of patients are diagnosed in the late stages of the disease and usually have nonspecific symptoms accompanied by pain. ..and bloating and difficult digestion.” In addition, he adds that there may be other symptoms that may make us suspicious, such as ascites, fluid accumulation in the abdomen, a feeling of rapid filling of the stomach, or the presence of a palpable mass in the abdominal cavity.

Important medical-surgical advances allow experts to have an increasingly broader and more effective set of tools, even in cases where the disease is in advanced stages, when greater increases in survival and a higher quality of life are required. This is why Dr. Vargas emphasizes that “ovarian cancer, regardless of its type, is now treatable.”

“It is important to refer these cancers to hospital centers that have a gynecologic oncology department, where they can be treated by an experienced team of gynecologists who are experts in medical and surgical oncology,” Dr. Vargas emphasizes. Particularly in the surgical aspect, having a multidisciplinary team experienced and trained in oncological surgery is essential, whether it is radical surgery or prophylaxis, as this guarantees a higher success rate in the operation itself and therefore increases survival.

Finally, José Antonio Vargas wanted to highlight the importance of two important aspects inherent in the treatment of any type of cancer. On the one hand, the value of nursing, whose participation is of great importance since it will act at all levels of the patient’s therapeutic activity. And on the other hand, the importance of socializing the patient at the stage of the disease, not losing contact with family, friends or colleagues, who play a fundamental role in psychological well-being during her illness.

Fountain: Chiron Health