Ovarian Cancer – Why Advanced Research,
Early Detection and a Cure Are Critical
Despite advances in chemotherapy, the death rate from
ovarian cancer has not changed significantly in more than four
decades. In fact, half of all deaths from cancer of the genital
tract are due to ovarian cancer.
The statistics related to ovarian cancer are staggering:
- Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related
deaths among women.
- One in 65 women in the United States will develop
ovarian cancer.
- A woman dies from ovarian cancer every 45 minutes in
the United States.
- The majority of women with ovarian cancer are
diagnosed with advanced disease (Stage III or IV).
- Approximately half of the patients with ovarian cancer
are diagnosed before the age of 55 and most patients
diagnosed with advanced disease do not live longer than
two or three years beyond the time of diagnosis.
- The need for early detection is crucial – if caught in Stage
I, the five-year survival rate from ovarian cancer is over
90 percent. If caught in Stage III, the survival rate is less
than 20 percent.
The critical factors accounting for these statistics can be summarized as follows:
- Lack of early detection methods for ovarian cancer
As a result, two-thirds of patients have advanced disease
that has already spread.
- Lack of prevention methods
Except for rare hereditary ovarian cancers, we do not
understand the cause of ovarian cancer and therefore,
cannot define populations of women at risk. Short of
removing the ovaries surgically, we do not have
effective prevention strategies.
- Failure of current therapeutics
The vast majority of patients currently diagnosed
with advanced ovarian cancer will fail conventional
chemotherapy within one to three years.
Advancing ovarian cancer detection and treatment:
Penn's Center for Research on Early Detection and Cure of Ovarian Cancer
If prevention, early detection and advances in therapeutics
for ovarian cancer could be better achieved, the mortality rate
of the condition can decrease in years to come. This is why the
University of Pennsylvania Health System, Penn's School of
Medicine, the Abramson Cancer Center, and the Department
of Obstetrics and Gynecology have created the new Center for
Research on Early Detection and Cure of Ovarian Cancer.
Directed by George Coukos MD, PhD, the Center's goal is to
identify new detection methods, develop new therapies and
improve the quality of life for women with ovarian cancer.
The Center provides an infrastructure for ovarian cancer
research and treatment and serves as a catalyst, uniting existing
talent at Penn and promoting interdisciplinary collaboration in
the field of ovarian cancer research.
This new Center provides the following programs:
The ovarian cancer early detection and prevention
program and the ovarian cancer advanced therapeutics
program develop new detection tools, such as biomarkers and
imaging technologies, new prevention methods and new
therapeutic approaches. Clinical trials are offered to patients
to test the effectiveness of the detection, prevention and
therapeutic methods discovered.
The ovarian cancer biology and pathogenesis program
aims to understand the pathogenesis (the production and
development of disease) and biology of ovarian cancer and
feeds the other two programs with ideas and information from
which detection, prevention and therapeutic concepts can be
developed.
Gynecologic Oncology at Penn -
A distinct leader in the field of gynecologic oncology
Penn physicians and scientists are working together to
increase our knowledge about gynecologic cancer and to find
new ways to prevent and treat the diseases. This combined
effort has enabled research advances to more quickly benefit
our patients and has made Penn a leader in ovarian cancer
research.
About Ovarian Cancer |
The vast majority of ovarian cancers are
found at advanced stages because early, small
ovarian cancers are asymptomatic or have vague
symptoms, and cannot usually be found by a
physician's exam. It is important to recognize the
risk factors of ovarian cancer. Talk to your doctor
if any of the following pertain to you:
- Genetic predisposition
- Personal or family history of breast,
ovarian or colon cancer
- Increasing age
- Undesired infertility
|
Screening |
Currently, there is no consistently reliable,
accurate screening test to detect ovarian cancer.
An annual pelvic exam is recommended for
women age 21 and above and annual rectovaginal
exam for women age 35 and above.
For women at high risk for ovarian cancer, your
physician may recommend one of the following:
- Transvaginal sonography - An ultrasound
performed with a small probe placed in
the vagina
- CA-125 blood test to determine if the level of
a tumor marker called CA-125 has increased
in the blood
A traditional Pap test does not detect ovarian cancer. |
|
|
