Ovarian cancer, a silent killer for Indonesian women: Study<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Pouring talcum powder on your body just after a
\nbath can make you feel fresh and fragrant. But, be careful, a
\nstudy reveals that a woman who has used talc in her genital area
\nfor years may be at a high risk of developing ovarian cancer.<\/p>\n
Dr. Sjahrul Sjamsuddin, a gynecologist and oncologist at the
\nDharmais Cancer Hospital in Jakarta, explained that talcum powder
\nhas become part of a woman's life.<\/p>\n
\"Mothers often pour talcum powders on their babies's genital
\nareas and such habits continue through the toddler stage and into
\nadulthood,\" said the doctor during a seminar on ovarian cancer.<\/p>\n
Only a very few realize that the habit is hazardous.<\/p>\n
\"It is only a few years ago that the medical world uncovered
\nthe link between the use of talcum powder and the development of
\novarian cancer in women,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The doctor explained that ovarian cancer is an abnormal tumor
\nthat begins in the ovaries, a pair of organs in the female
\nreproductive system.<\/p>\n
It is one of the deadly cancer-related diseases in women in
\naddition to breast cancer and cervical cancer.<\/p>\n
The ovaries are important as they are the main sources of the
\nfemale hormones estrogen and progesterone. These hormones
\ninfluence the development of women's breasts, body shapes and
\nbody hair. They also regulate the menstrual cycle and pregnancy.<\/p>\n
\"Once you get ovarian cancer, the chances of having a baby are
\nvery slim,\" the doctor said.<\/p>\n
He also said it is very hard to detect ovarian cancer in the
\nvery early stages. \"Most patients (between 70 percent and 80
\npercent) suffering from ovarian cancer come here during the third
\nstage meaning that the cancerous cells have already spread to
\nother parts of the body,\" the doctor explained.<\/p>\n
So far, the exact causes of ovarian cancer are not known,
\nHowever, according to the website Cancer.Net the following
\nfactors may increase the chances of developing this disease.<\/p>\n
Family history: First degree relatives (mother, daughter and
\nsister) of a woman who has ovarian cancer are at increased risk
\nof developing this type of cancer themselves. A family history of
\nbreast or colon cancer is also associated with an increased risk
\nof developing ovarian cancer.<\/p>\n
Age: The likelihood of developing ovarian cancer increases as
\na woman gets older. Most ovarian cancers occur in women over the
\nage of 50, with the highest risk in women over 60.<\/p>\n
Childbearing: Women who have never had children are more
\nlikely to develop ovarian cancer than women who have had
\nchildren. In fact, the more children a woman has had, the less
\nlikely she is to develop ovarian cancer.<\/p>\n
Personal history: women who have had breast or colon cancer
\nmay have a greater chance of developing ovarian cancer than women
\nwho have not had breast or colon cancer.<\/p>\n
Symptoms<\/p>\n
Dr. Sjamsuddin warned women who experience several symptoms
\nsuch as general abdominal discomfort and pain (gas, indigestion,
\npressure, swelling, bloating, cramps) to be more alert.<\/p>\n
\"Many times, they ignore these symptoms thinking they are
\nminor illnesses,\" he said. Doctors could give misleading
\ntreatment and gave their patients wrong medication.<\/p>\n
\"Some doctors prescribe medication which is only suitable for
\npatients with digestion problems, because the symptoms are almost
\nidentical,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Other possible symptoms include: nausea, diarrhea,
\nconstipation, and frequent urination, loss of appetite, feeling
\nof fullness even after a light meal, weight gain or loss for
\nunknown reasons and abnormal bleeding from the vagina.<\/p>\n
The doctor said that scientists around the world are now
\nstudying ways to detect ovarian cancer before the symptoms become
\napparent.<\/p>\n
\"The sooner ovarian cancer is found and treated, the better a
\nwoman's chances of recovery. But ovarian cancer is hard to detect
\nin the early stages,\" the doctor stressed.<\/p>\n
Many times, women with ovarian cancer have experienced no
\nsymptoms or only mild symptoms until the disease has been at an
\nadvanced stage, he added.<\/p>\n
Currently, the detection of ovarian cancer is carried out by
\nmeasuring the level of CA-125, a substance known as a tumor
\nmarker, which is often found in higher than normal amounts in the
\nblood of women with ovarian cancer. Doctors are also evaluating
\ntransvaginal ultrasound, a test that may help detect the disease
\nat an early stage.<\/p>\n
If the diagnosis is ovarian cancer, the doctor will want to
\nascertain the stage of disease. Staging is a careful attempt to
\nfind out whether the cancer has spread and ,if so, to what parts
\nof the body. Staging may involve surgery, x-rays and other
\nimaging procedures and lab tests. Knowing the stage of the
\ndisease helps the doctor plan treatment.<\/p>\n
\"The process of spreading abnormal cells depends on the
\ngeneral health condition of each affected person. Sometimes, it
\ncan be quite slow, in others it can be so fast,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Ovarian cancer cells can break away from the ovary and spread
\nto other tissues and organs in a process called shedding. When
\novarian cancer sheds, it tends to seed (form) new tumors.<\/p>\n
Ovarian cancer cells can also enter the bloodstream or
\nlymphatic system (the tissues and organs that produce and store
\ncells that fight infection and disease). Once in the bloodstream
\nor lymphatic system, the cancer cells can travel and form new
\ntumors in other parts of the body, Cancer.Net explains.<\/p>\n
Treatment for ovarian cancer depends on a number of factors,
\nincluding the stage of the disease and the general health of the
\npatient.<\/p>\n
Many different treatments and combinations of treatments are
\nused to treat ovarian cancer such as surgery, chemotherapy and
\nradiation therapy.<\/p>\n
The side effects of cancer treatment depend on the type of
\ntreatment and may be different for each woman.<\/p>\n
Surgery causes short-term pain and tenderness in the area of
\nthe operation. When both ovaries are removed a woman loses her
\nability to become pregnant. Removing the ovaries means that the
\nbody's natural source of estrogen and progesterone is lost and
\nmenopause occurs, the doctor noted.<\/p>\n
Chemotherapy affects normal as well as cancerous cells. Side
\neffects depend largely on the specific drugs and the dosage.<\/p>\n
\"As we learn more about what causes ovarian cancer, we may
\nalso learn how to reduce the chances of getting this disease,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Some studies have shown that breast feeding and taking birth
\ncontrol pills (oral contraceptives) may decrease a woman's
\nlikelihood of developing ovarian cancer<\/p>\n
Some evidence suggests that reducing the amount of fat in the
\ndiet may lower the risk of developing ovarian cancer.<\/p>\n
Having one or more of the risk factors mentioned here does not
\nmean that a woman is sure to develop ovarian cancer, but the
\nchances may be higher than average.<\/p>\n
\"It will be better to lead a healthy life because treatment
\nfor cancer is very difficult and, of course, expensive,\" he
\nadded. (raw)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ovarian-cancer-a-silent-killer-for-indonesian-women-study-1447893297",
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