Premium Essay

Ovarian Cancer: A Case Study

Submitted By
Words 1787
Pages 8
Ovarian cancer has become the deadliest cancer of the reproductive system. Why might this be? It is because it is not caught until the cancer has metastasized. The age prevalence of developing ovarian cancer is becoming younger with more woman waiting to have their first child in their thirties. Infertility has been associated with increased risk of developing ovarian cancer; whether infertility is a physical issue or a choice to wait to have kids, the risk is present with the fewer pregnancies total. Ovarian Cancer has been linked to BRCA gene that is found in breast cancer; therefore women with the BRCA gene are in danger of getting both. Cancer treatments, like chemotherapy, are causing women to be infertile. Women then must be aware about …show more content…
Explaining that, woman who come to her with cancer already looking for options is “hard”, because “a lot of the time the cancer has spread so much that pregnancies are not possible” and that there is a bigger threat, “death” (Linnemeier, 2015). The doctor explained a lot about the fertility options we researched in the paragraph above; how a lot of the treatments available are not the best protection. She went on to explain how some woman “chose to go through a pregnancies with cancer”, however, that is with “other cancers, not ovarian cancer” (Linnemeier, 2015). Ovarian cancer already makes it difficult to get pregnant and even if a woman did she would “most likely lose the baby”. Concluding that woman need to see an “OB-GYN early as fifteen” and begin tracking her “risk factor and symptomology” this would be the best way to try and catch the ovarian cancer early and allow for more chances of fertility (Appendix B). While the Interview with Beth Bohn, from Ovar’Coming, was more about educating the public and information on ovarian cancer. She said that Ovar’Coming is an organization that focuses on “educating the public, future health care member’s, and current medical members” (Appendix

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Ovarian Cancer

...Risk Factors for Ovarian Cancer HS310: Epidemiology and Biostatistics Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common type of cancer among women, and ranks first among the different types of gynecological cancer mortality in Canada (Canadian Cancer Statistics, 2004). Ovarian cancer mostly affects elderly and middle aged women, with the highest incidence rates reported in North America and Northern Europe, and the lowest in Japan and in developing countries (Greenlee et al., 2000). Over the past 40 years, the rate of ovarian cancer mortality has increased among women 65 years of age and older. The incidence of ovarian cancer increases with age, from 1.5/100,000 annually among women 20 -30 years of age to 49/100,000 in women 60- 69 year of age (Mant and Vessey, 1995). In Canada, 2,500 new cases are reported annually, and 1,550 women die from this disease each year. The lack of screening tests for early diagnosis of ovarian cancer is an important determinant of the mortality rate from this disease. Because of the absence or subtlety of early symptoms, more than 70 % of patients are diagnosed with advanced stages of ovarian cancer (Goff et al., 2000) The increase in the incidence of ovarian cancer near the age of menopause can be related to the diminution of oocytes or germ cells, the reduction in circulating estrogen levels, or a significant increase in the pituitary gland’s production of the...

Words: 1271 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Ovarian Cancer

...INTRODUCTION Ovarian cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the ovaries. Women have two ovaries, one on each side of the uterus. The ovaries, each about the size of an almond, produce eggs as well as the hormones estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Ovarian cancer often goes undetected until it has spread within the pelvis and abdomen. At this late stage, ovarian cancer is difficult to treat and is often fatal. Ovarian cancer treatments are available. Researchers are studying ways to improve ovarian cancer treatment and looking into ways to detect ovarian cancer at an earlier stage. SYMPTOMS Symptoms of ovarian cancer are not specific to the disease, and they often mimic those of many other more-common conditions, including digestive and bladder problems. When ovarian cancer symptoms are present, they tend to be persistent and worsen with time. Signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer may include: • Abdominal pressure, fullness, swelling or bloating • Pelvic discomfort or pain • Persistent indigestion, gas or nausea • Changes in bowel habits, such as constipation • Changes in bladder habits, including a frequent need to urinate • Loss of appetite or quickly feeling full • Increased abdominal girth or clothes fitting tighter around your waist • A persistent lack of energy • Low back pain CAUSES It is not clear what causes ovarian cancer. In general, cancer begins when healthy cells acquire a genetic mutation that turns normal cells into abnormal cells. Healthy...

Words: 1897 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Lung Cancer

...Ovarian Cancer Rosemary Jones MBC 120 June 20, 2012 You have been experiencing pelvic and abdominal pain. You feel like you are bloated all the time. You are having difficulty eating or you are not eating much because you feel full shortly after beginning. You have also noticed that your abdomen has increased in size. While any of these symptoms by themselves, is not necessarily concerning, if you have experience one of these symptoms at least 12 days a month for at least six months, further examination is warranted as it could be an indication of a more serious condition, in particular ovarian Cancer. Ovarian cancer only accounts for 3 percent of cancers in women, yet it is the fifth most common cause of cancer death behind lung, breast, colorectal, and pancreatic cancers. Out of every 100,000 women, 12.5 of them will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer. It does not discriminate against age. It can affect a newborn child just as easily as a woman in her in 50s or older. The target age, however, seems to be in women 50 or older. In 2008, according to the American Cancer Society, per 100,000 women between the ages of 65 to 74 years, there was a 48.6% incidence of ovarian cancer with a mortality of 36.1%. This increased to 55.6% for incidence and 55.2% for mortality in women 75 years and older. The chance that a woman would be diagnosed with invasive ovarian cancer in her lifetime is about 1 in 71. Her chance of dying from it is 1 in 95. The etiology of ovarian...

Words: 1876 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Ovarian Cancer

...gynecologic malignancies, ovarian cancer continues to have the highest mortality and is the most difficult to diagnose. In the United States female population, ovarian cancer ranks fifth in absolute mortality among cancer related deaths (13,000/yr). In most reported cases, ovarian cancer, when first diagnosed is in stages III or IV in about 60 to 70% of patients which further complicates treatment of the disease (Barber, 3). Early detection in ovarian cancer is hampered by the lack of appropriate tumor markers and clinically, most patients fail to develop significant symptoms until they reach advanced stage disease. The characteristics of ovarian cancer have been studied in primary tumors and in established ovarian tumor cell lines which provide a reproducible source of tumor material. Among the major clinical problems of ovarian cancer, malignant progression, rapid emergence of drug resistance, and associated cross-resistance remain unresolved. Ovarian cancer has a high frequency of metastasis yet generally remains localized within the peritoneal cavity. Tumor development has been associated with aberrant, dysfunctional expression and/or mutation of various genes. This can include oncogene overexpression, amplification or mutation, aberrant tumor suppressor expression or mutation. Also, subversion of host antitumor immune responses may play a role in the pathogenesis of cancer (Sharp, 77). Ovarian clear cell adenocarcinoma...

Words: 4428 - Pages: 18

Premium Essay

Ovarian Cancer

...Ovarian Cancer Ovarian cancer is one of the most under-detected types of cancers in existence because many of the symptoms are not noticeable until the later stages of the disease. These symptoms typically follow a pattern that helps determine whether or not a woman has ovarian cancer. The symptoms are “frequent bloating, pain in your belly or pelvis, trouble eating, or feeling full quickly, urinary problems, such as an urgent need to urinate or urinating more often than usual, fatigue, indigestion, pain with intercourse, constipation, and menstrual cycle changes.” For women who have ovarian cancer, the symptoms follow three common attributes: “they start suddenly, they feel different than your normal digestive or menstrual problems, and they happen almost every day and don’t go away.” However, another problem with the symptoms of ovarian cancer is that there are some women that just naturally have them, and that makes it very difficult to determine whether or not they have cancer (http://www.webmd.com/ovarian-cancer/guide/ovarian-cancer-symptoms - Symptoms). The risk factors that are associated with ovarian cancer are not absolute. However, like in any type of disease or infection, the more risk factors that a person has, the more likely they are to become disease-ridden. The risk factors of ovarian cancer can be very complex, but simplify as a person gets older. One factor is gene mutations within families. Most of the mutations come from families that have a prominent number...

Words: 742 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Ovarian Cancer

...Ovarian Cancer Samantha Massoth BIO 342—Genetics April 15, 2013 Abstract Ovarian cancer is described as a malignant tumor located in the ovaries. Malignant tumors can invade only one or both ovaries. Malignant tumors can also shed cancerous cells from the original tumor and “seed” these shedding on the surface of tissues and organs near the ovaries. The final way for ovarian cancerous cells to move is through “spreading” (metastasis). This is done by the cancerous cells entering the lymphatic system and/or bloodstream to other organs in the body. Ovarian cancer has many risk factors such as non pregnancy, menopause, family history of cancer, personal history of cancer, and others. The studies in this paper were to discuss three major themes of ovarian cancer. The first theme is the screening process of people suspected to have ovarian cancer yet show no signs or symptoms of the disease. The capability of doctors to detect, diagnose, and treat ovarian cancer is researched in these studies. The second major theme is the general prevention of ovarian cancer mainly in women who are at high risk of the disease. The third major theme of ovarian cancer is the general treatment of ovarian cancer and the affects over the counter drugs have as treatment of the disease. Introduction: Cancer is a disease that affects the basic building block of tissues, the human cell. Cells will grow and divide to provide the body with new cells when needed...

Words: 3524 - Pages: 15

Free Essay

Ovarian Cancer

...Ovarian Cancer Michelle Blevins Sullivan University HIM110X Pathophysiology with Pharmacology I March 3, 2014 Abstract Ovarian cancer is a growth of abnormal malignant cells that begins in the ovaries (women’s reproductive glands that produce ova). Cancer that spreads to the ovaries but originates at another site is not considered ovarian cancer. Ovarian tumors can be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Although abnormal, cells of benign tumors do not metastasize (spread to other parts of the body). Malignant cancer cells in the ovaries can metastasize in two ways: directly to other organs in the pelvis and abdomen (the more common way), through the bloodstream or lymph nodes to other parts of the body. While the causes of ovarian cancer are unknown, some theories exist: Genetic errors may occur because of damage from the normal monthly release of an egg. Increased hormone levels before and during ovulation may stimulate the growth of abnormal cells. Keywords: ovarian cancer, malignant, cells, metastasize Ovarian Cancer Ovarian Cancer is the most common cause of cancer death from gynecologic tumors in the United States. Malignant ovarian lesions include primary lesions arising from normal structures within the ovary and secondary lesions from cancers arising elsewhere in the body. Primary lesions include epithelial ovarian carcinoma, germ-cell tumors, sex-cord stromal tumors, and other more rare types. Metastases to the ovaries are relatively...

Words: 965 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Delegation Example in a Health Care Setting

...who had a reoccurrence of uterine or ovarian cancer after having been treated with other drug combinations.. What Statistical procedures are mentioned in the study? The study that was done involved 15 women with recurring ovarian cancer, 9 with recurring uterine cancer, and 3 with peritoneal mesothelioma which is cancer of the tissue, lining the inside of the abdomen. The findings revealed that out of 24 women only six had complete response to treatment. This study was done to examine the statistical procedures, describes the finding and conclusions and based on the analysis mentioned in the report, the study concludes whether they were appropriate or not. What conclusions did the study reached? Are the conclusions appropriate? Why or why not? The research was comprehensive since it involved a total of 86 treatment cycles. And out of 27 participants selected from inclusion in the sample results were established for 24 individuals which was a reasonable success rate. The cooperation from the participants ensured the success of the experiment. Of the 24 patients a mere 6 of the participants had a satisfactory response to treatment while another three had no worsening of their cancer. Six out of 24 individuals is a small number which may not merit making inference on the whole population because this represents a probability of only 0.25(6/24) or 25%. This implies that only 25 % of the patients with ovarian, uterine and cancer of the tissue lining could benefit from...

Words: 979 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Newspaper Analysis

...who had a reoccurrence of uterine or ovarian cancer after having been treated with other drug combinations.. What Statistical procedures are mentioned in the study? The study that was done involved 15 women with recurring ovarian cancer, 9 with recurring uterine cancer, and 3 with peritoneal mesothelioma which is cancer of the tissue, lining the inside of the abdomen. The findings revealed that out of 24 women only six had complete response to treatment. This study was done to examine the statistical procedures, describes the finding and conclusions and based on the analysis mentioned in the report, the study concludes whether they were appropriate or not. What conclusions did the study reached? Are the conclusions appropriate? Why or why not? The research was comprehensive since it involved a total of 86 treatment cycles. And out of 27 participants selected from inclusion in the sample results were established for 24 individuals which was a reasonable success rate. The cooperation from the participants ensured the success of the experiment. Of the 24 patients a mere 6 of the participants had a satisfactory response to treatment while another three had no worsening of their cancer. Six out of 24 individuals is a small number which may not merit making inference on the whole population because this represents a probability of only 0.25(6/24) or 25%. This implies that only 25 % of the patients with ovarian, uterine and cancer of the tissue lining could benefit from...

Words: 979 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Breast Cancer

...EDCAN CASE STUDY : Libby In the chosen case study a 48 year old women named Libby contracts breast cancer for the second time. In Libby’s journey throughout her treatment she discovers many physical, social, psychological and spiritual issues which affect her overall well-being. This paper will discuss how important it is for nurses to give the best treatment possible; during, between and after therapy. It will also discuss the risks of developing this cancer and how important it is to find the condition early to promote a healthier recovery (Australian Government, 2012). Reducing Risks All women want to know what they can do to lower their risk of breast cancer. Some factors which contribute to breast cancer are your age, being a woman and your genetics. These factors cannot be changed but many other factors can, such as maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, eating nutritious food and limiting alcohol consumption. By making healthier lifestyle choices the risk of breast cancer is decreased (National Breast Cancer Centre, 2006). In Australia, breast cancer is the most common cancer; one in nine women will be diagnosed with breast cancer by the age of 85. Just being a woman is the biggest risk factor for developing breast cancer. There are approximately 13,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer each year in Australia, and men may also develop breast cancer but it is extremely rare (Cancer Council Australia, 2007). Age is another important factor, the risk of...

Words: 1902 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

A Question of Ethics: Egg Harvesting for Stem Cell Research

...to conduct this research. Dr. Diane Beeson’s article “Egg Harvesting for Stem Cell Research: Medical Risks and Ethical Problems” illustrates the issues of short and long-term effects of ovarian stimulation, risks to offspring, and the exploitation of women. She uses this information to develop an argument against the use of unauthorized and unstudied drugs and the misleading language used to exploit young women. She establishes credibility by using statistics and plays on a sensitive issue by bringing up risks to offspring to develop her argument. Medical treatments developed from stem cell research range from cancer treatments to replacing damaged brain cells. Though these seem to outweigh any of the negative side effects, those abnormalities caused from ovarian stimulation can directly affect the reproductive capabilities of many females. Dr. Beeson explains the most serious and immediate short-term effect is ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). The symptoms of mild cases of OHSS range from nausea to abdominal distention, respiratory difficulty, and other abnormalities (Beeson and Lippman). More severe cases are ‘by no means rare’ according to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) (Beeson and Lippman). Symptoms include adult respiratory distress and hemorrhage from ovarian rupture. As of June 2005 five women in the UK were known to have died of OHSS (Beeson and Lippman). These are only the short-term effects detrimental to reproductive health. Dr. Beeson...

Words: 931 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Mnagement

...Physicians* Breast cancer is one of the most common causes of death for women in their 40s in the United States. Individualized risk assessment plays an important role when making decisions about screening mammography, especially for women 49 years of age or younger. The purpose of this guideline is to present the available evidence for screening mammography in women 40 to 49 years of age and to increase clinicians’ understanding of the benefits and risks of screening mammography. Ann Intern Med. 2007;146:511-515. For author affiliations, see end of text. www.annals.org RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendation 1: In women 40 to 49 years of age, clinicians should periodically perform individualized assessment of risk for breast cancer to help guide decisions about screening mammography. A careful assessment of a woman’s risk for breast cancer is important. The 5-year breast cancer risk can vary from 0.4% for a woman age 40 years with no risk factors to 6.0% for a woman age 49 years with several risk factors (1). Factors that increase the risk for breast cancer include older age, family history of breast cancer, older age at the time of first birth, younger age at menarche, and history of breast biopsy. Women 40 to 49 years of age who have any of the following risk factors have a higher risk for breast cancer than the average 50-year-old woman: 2 first-degree relatives with breast cancer; 2 previous breast biopsies; 1 firstdegree relative with breast cancer and 1 previous breast...

Words: 4930 - Pages: 20

Free Essay

Mgmt

...Physicians* Breast cancer is one of the most common causes of death for women in their 40s in the United States. Individualized risk assessment plays an important role when making decisions about screening mammography, especially for women 49 years of age or younger. The purpose of this guideline is to present the available evidence for screening mammography in women 40 to 49 years of age and to increase clinicians’ understanding of the benefits and risks of screening mammography. Ann Intern Med. 2007;146:511-515. For author affiliations, see end of text. www.annals.org RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendation 1: In women 40 to 49 years of age, clinicians should periodically perform individualized assessment of risk for breast cancer to help guide decisions about screening mammography. A careful assessment of a woman’s risk for breast cancer is important. The 5-year breast cancer risk can vary from 0.4% for a woman age 40 years with no risk factors to 6.0% for a woman age 49 years with several risk factors (1). Factors that increase the risk for breast cancer include older age, family history of breast cancer, older age at the time of first birth, younger age at menarche, and history of breast biopsy. Women 40 to 49 years of age who have any of the following risk factors have a higher risk for breast cancer than the average 50-year-old woman: 2 first-degree relatives with breast cancer; 2 previous breast biopsies; 1 firstdegree relative with breast cancer and 1 previous breast...

Words: 4930 - Pages: 20

Premium Essay

Application of Bootstrap Method in Spectrometric Data Analysis

...data is considered. The bootstrap can also compare two populations, without the normality condition and without the restriction to comparison of means. The most important new idea is that bootstrap resampling must mimic the separate samples design that produced the original data. Bootstrap in mean, bootstrap in median, and bootstrap in confidence interval are three kinds of effective way to handle mass spectrometric data. Then,we need to reduce dimension based on bootstrap method. It may allow the data to be more easily visualized. Afterwards, using results obtained by bootstrap, we use data mining method to predict a patient has ovarian cancer or not. Decision tree induction and neural network are usual way to classify it. Keywords: Bootstrap, data mining, classification tree, decision tree induction, neural network, mass spectrometry data, ovarian cancer, control... iii Contents 1 Introduction 1.1 1.2 1.3 Mass Spectrometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bootstrap Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Data Mining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1...

Words: 7049 - Pages: 29

Premium Essay

Why Breast Is Best!

...Why Breast is best! To breast feed or to formula fed? That question crosses every new mother’s mind. The choice you make to that question is one of the first and probably the most significant decisions you will make as a new parent. Breastfeeding takes some time to learn for both you and your infant but is definitely worth the effort and time. Your choice to breast feed your newborn infant will affect his or her whole life, from birth throughout his or her adult life. There is no question that a mother truly wants the best for her children from the time they learn they are expecting their new bundle of joy. Breast milk has the perfect combination of proteins, fats, vitamins, and carbohydrates your infant needs. Breast milk is far more than good food. It is a living fluid that protects your infant from disease and actively contributes to the development of your infant. As mentioned by Arsenault (2011) breast milk not only provides the nutrition your infant needs but it also provides protection by supplying your infant his or her first antibodies and immunities. Breast milk aids in protecting infants against infection and disease. According to the La Leche League International (LLL) (2004) Infant mortality rates are higher among artificially fed infants, even in places where everyone has access to safe water and good medical care. Morbidity rates- how often babies get sick- are also higher among artificially fed infants in both the developed and the developing world. Breastfeeding...

Words: 2539 - Pages: 11