Expectations (prognosis)
Ovarian cancer is rarely diagnosed in its early stages. It is usually quite advanced by the time diagnosis is made. The outcome is often poor.
- About 76% of women with ovarian cancer survive 1 year after diagnosis.
- About 45% live longer than 5 years after diagnosis.
- If diagnosis is made early in the disease and treatment is received before the cancer spreads outside the ovary, the 5-year survival rate is about 94%.
Complications
- Spread of the cancer to other organs
- Loss of organ function
- Fluid in the abdomen (ascites)
- Blockage of the intestines
Calling your health care provider
Call for an appointment with your health care provider if you are a woman over 40 years old who has not recently had a Pap smear and pelvic examination. Routine Pap smears and pelvic examinations are recommended for all women over 20 years old.
Call for an appointment with your provider if you have symptoms of ovarian cancer.
Prevention
Having regular pelvic examinations may decrease the overall risk. Screening tests for ovarian cancer remains a very active research area. To date, there is no cost-effective screening test for ovarian cancer, so more than 50% of women with ovarian cancer are diagnosed in the late stages of the disease.
Recent research has shown that surgery to remove the ovaries in women with mutation in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes can dramatically reduce their risk of developing ovarian cancer
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