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Ovarian Cancer

Around 1 in 70 Australian women will get an ovarian cancer. For some, the risk of being diagnosed with ovarian cancer is high because of an abnormality in a gene that has been inherited(BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation) there are also other gene mutations (such as those causing Lynch syndrome) which also increase the risk of ovarian cancer.

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For women who are at high inherited risk of ovarian cancer, a surgical procedure called Risk-reducing bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (RRBSO) +/- hysterectomy has been proven to reduce this risk. Dr Goulding is specialised at providing counselling and surgery in this scenario.

If ovarian cancer is just in the ovaries it may be cured with surgery, however unfortunately many ovarian cancers are not found until after they have spread beyond the ovary and so treatment often involves surgery and chemotherapy. In these cases, there is a chance of cure in a small number of women, but for many women with advanced ovarian cancer there is no long-term cure.

Risk factors

  • Age >50 years

  • You have never had children

  • You have a genetic predisposition or have inherited a faulty gene

  • There is some research also suggesting ovarian cancer may be related to endometriosis, smoking and obesity.

Symptoms

Ovarian cancer is a sneaky disease and its signs and symptoms are not often noticeable until it is advanced, unfortunately there is no screening test for ovarian cancer to enable us to detect it prior to symptoms presenting.  Common symptoms include:

  • Bloating

  • Abdominal pain

  • Lost appetite or feeling full quickly

  • Change in your bladder or bowel habit

  • Unexplained weight loss

  • Fatigue

Diagnosis

It is important to see your GP promptly if you develop any signs or symptoms suggestive of ovarian cancer. In the first instance an ultrasound of your pelvis will be arranged and if abnormalities of your ovaries are seen additional tests such as a PET-CT scan and blood tests will be arranged.

Treatment

Treatment options depend on the size of cancer, the type of cancer (there are many different varieties of ovarian cancer), whether the cancer has spread beyond the ovaries and your health, age and medical history. These factors are all taken into consideration by Dr Goulding to provide evidence based, highly skilled and personalised treatment. Treatments include:

  • Surgery 

  • Chemotherapy 

  • Radiotherapy 

  • Hormonal therapy 

The value of a multidisciplinary team

There is strong evidence that a multidisciplinary review of all patients with a new diagnosis of a gynaecological cancer improves patient outcomes. Dr Goulding is proud to be able to offer a multidisciplinary review of all of her patients with a gynaecological cancer in the private system

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