September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in the US. With this in mind, we thought now would be a great time to discuss one of the most common reproductive cancers in women. Unlike other types of gynecological cancer such as cervical cancer, there is no defined method of screening for ovarian cancer. In many cases, ovarian cancer may take a long time to detect or diagnose due to a lack of noticeable symptoms. This is why we wanted to take some time today to discuss the prevalence of ovarian cancer to help women understand their potential risks.
Basic Statistics:
- The American Cancer Society estimates that over 21,400 new cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed in the US each year.
- There are currently over 235,000 women in the US that are currently living with ovarian cancer.
- The rate of new cases of ovarian cancer is roughly 10.9 per every 100,000 women each year.
- Every woman has roughly a 1.2% chance of developing ovarian cancer during the course of her lifetime.
Trends:
- Both the number of annual cases diagnosed and deaths related to ovarian cancer has steadily declined since the mid-1980s.
- When adjusting for age, development rates for new ovarian cancer cases have been declining an average of 3.3% each year since 2009.
Survival Rates:
- The 5-year survival rate for women with ovarian cancer is just under 50%.
- However, this is significantly higher for women who receive a diagnosis before their cancer has metastasized.
- For example, the 5-year survival rate in cases where the cancer is localized (has not spread) is over 92%.
- The 5-year survival rate in cases where the cancer is regional (only spread to regional lymph nodes) is about 75%.
This is why it’s so important to visit with a board-certified gynecologist yearly and take a proactive approach to discuss your ovarian health. Like any other reproductive health concern, the sooner ovarian cancer is detected, the more effectively it can be treated. For more information or to request an appointment for an annual well-woman exam, please don’t hesitate to contact Gynecology Associates of Gwinnett today. You can also follow along with us on Facebook and our medical spa, MadEmEl Medical Aesthetics, on Instagram.
