The first World Day of Ovarian cancer It was commemorated on May 8, 2013 and since then, fighting organizations come together every year to raise awareness about the ovarian cancer and their symptom. This year, under the motto “no woman left behind”.
According to the World Coalition of Ovarian cancerthis disease causes around 207 thousand deaths a year in women worldwide, and this figure is expected to increase.
The most common type of tumor is high-grade serous carcinoma, which occurs in about 70% of cases.
According to figures provided by the Rosa Emilia Sánchez Pérez de Tavares National Cancer Institute (Incart), in 2021, some 40 Dominican women were treated at this health center, affected by ovarian cancer.
Among gynecological cancers, it is the third with the highest incidence in the country, surpassed by breast cancer (381 patients in 2021) and cervical cancer (113 patients in the year). Incart in 2021).
The oncologist gynecologist Tamy Santana cites on the website of the Incart that “according to world statistics, 1 in 77 women will suffer from some type of gynecological cancer” and in the particular case of ovarian cancer“it is the one that causes more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system”.
It’s a cancer high lethality, because it normally receives a late diagnosis. It has a five-year survival rate of 49.7%.
The main warning signs are: abdominal swelling or swelling, unexplained weight loss, pelvic area discomfort, back pain, fatigue, changes in bowel habits, frequent urination, and abnormal bleeding.
“Added to the complexity of its detection, there are people who have risk factors that increase the chances of developing the disease such as age, overweight, family history, not having had pregnancies or suffering from endometriosis and genetic mutations, especially in the BRCA genes. ”, explained the specialist in internal medicine Esteban Coto.
According to the US National Cancer Institute (NIH), This cancer mainly affects women between 55 and 64 years of age. (24.4% of those affected belong to this age range), followed by women between 65 and 74 years (23.8%).
The NIH estimates that in this 2022, only in the United States, 19,880 new cases from ovarian cancer Y 12,810 deaths occur.
Detection is not so simple
The medical director of AstraZeneca for Central America and the Caribbean, Esteban Coto, affirms that “the papanicolaou does not detect the ovarian cancer and despite technological advances, there is no simple and routine screening test, so it is important that the patient recognizes the symptom and go to the specialist doctor, who may indicate a pelvic exam, transvaginal ultrasound and blood tests, and in certain cases, a tomography as part of the diagnostic process.
#NoWomanStayBehind
This date is an opportunity to show solidarity with patients with the aim of improving their quality of life and prolonging survival, so we invite you to join the campaign #NoWomanStayBehind”, clarified Dr. Coto.
The movement #NoWomanStayBehind is promoted by the World Coalition Against Ovarian cancer and with the support of other 200 organizations worldwide, its objective is to invite people to raise their voices together with those patients who face the disease, raising awareness about the ovarian cancer and their symptom, between women and health personnel, which could be a fundamental factor in reducing delays in diagnosis. Currently, there are high chances of cure, as long as an early diagnosis is obtained, this through the different treatments and the comprehensive care that is provided.
