Ovarian-Cyst.org

Ovarian cancer typically occurs in women ages 55 years and older. Women who start conceiving at a younger age and have multiple children are at a lower risk of developing ovarian cancer. There is an increased incidence seen with a prior history of breast cancer or family history of breast and ovarian cancer, as well as in women who take estrogen-only hormone replacement for more than 5 years. Birth control pills have been shown to decrease the incidence of ovarian cancer by as much as 50% when taken for a duration of one year or more. Suppression of ovulation events appears to be the link in prevention for both women with multiple pregnancies and ovulation suppressing birth control methods. This may be related to the increased risk for sequential cumulative mutations that may occur with cell division, stimulated within the skin of the ovary at ovulation. Surgical intervention is the definitive treatment especially in early stage ovarian cancer. For more advanced stages surgery with chemotherapy is standard, including combinations of drugs for six or more infusion cycles. Chemotherapy infusions may be administered using an intravenous line or durable venous access port commonly referred to as a ‘Port-a-cath’. Alternatively, in selected cases, chemotherapy may be administered directly in to the abdominal cavity utilizing an intra-peritoneal ‘Port-a-cath’ placed at the time of surgery, as demonstrated here. When a pelvic mass is demonstrated (identified by ultrasound, CT …