Ovarian cancer is a growth of abnormal cells that develops in the ovaries
or sometimes in the fallopian tubes; the cells multiply quickly and can
invade and destroy healthy body tissue.
Ovarian Cancer and Genetics
It’s not clear what causes ovarian cancer.
But there are several risk factors for ovarian cancer development, including a family history of breast or ovarian cancer and genetic changes or mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.
Women with a medical history of ovarian cancer in their family may want to be tested for these genetic changes in order to be aware of their risk.
Diagnosis
As you know if you have been recently diagnosed, ovarian cancer can be easily overlooked. There are often no overt symptoms of the cancer in its earlier stages. Common symptoms, when they do appear, include:
Abnormal bloating or swelling;
feeling quickly full when eating
Abnormal menstrual cycles
Weight loss
Pelvic discomfort
Fatigue
Nausea / vomiting
Newly Diagnosed and Need Support?
Getting an ovarian cancer diagnosis is overwhelming and you may have a lot of unanswered questions. Connect with Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (https://ocrahope.org/patients/just-diagnosed) as you make your way through all the information and decisions that come along with a diagnosis of ovarian cancer. You may also contact us via phone, Monday through Friday at 212-268-1002.
Women who are eventually diagnosed with ovarian cancer often are previously misdiagnosed with
gastrointestinal disorders or other gynecological problems.
Treatment
The standard of care for advanced ovarian cancer includes both chemotherapy and surgery to treat the cancer and remove the affected tissue. In some cases, this can include removing one or both of the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, and / or the uterus. A typical treatment known as neoadjuvant chemotherapy includes:
01
Administrations of the chemotherapy drugs carboplatin and paclitaxel every 3 weeks for 3 cycles
02
Surgery to remove cancerous tissue
03
An additional 3 administrations of carboplatin and paclitaxel every 3 weeks
Outcomes
While standard treatment can be successful in treating ovarian cancer, 70% of patients will experience a relapse, often in the first year, and the five-year survival rate is less than 50%. We need more robust treatment options for ovarian cancer patients as well as their family members who may also be at risk.
The OVATION-2 Study is evaluating patients who were diagnosed with ovarian cancer just prior to entering the study in order to evaluate GEN-1 (IMNN-001) immunotherapy combined with the standard treatment of care.
It’s critical that treatment begin as soon as possible after diagnosis of stage 3 or 4 ovarian cancer to maximize potential treatment benefit.