Total Abdominal Hysterectomy and Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is a silent killer, and one of the deadliest threats to a woman’s health. The American Cancer Society says that about 20,180 American women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year alone. Every woman faces a one in 57 risk of getting ovarian cancer in her lifetime.

Cancer of the ovaries and uterus are often treated with total abdominal hysterectomy. During this procedure the doctor removes the uterus, including the cervix.

The symptoms of ovarian cancer are not perceptible until the cancer becomes widespread and critical, which explains why thousands of women die of this dreaded disease every year. Although ovarian cancer is treatable, in most instances, it is detected late causing complications and death.

Since to date there is no sure and effective way to diagnose or detect ovarian cancer in its early stage, specialists, research groups, cancer advocacy groups and government organizations are doing extensive ovarian cancer research to shed light onto the gray areas of this deadly disease. Some organizations provide grants for individuals to conduct ovarian cancer research.

Among the most prominent organizations promoting awareness of ovarian cancer is the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance. It was formed in 1997 by seven ovarian cancer advocacy groups who joined forces to strengthen efforts to promote ovarian cancer education.

Ovarian cancer research teams probe into several areas of ovarian cancer including its symptoms (both in the early and the latter stages), stages, risk factors, prevention, risk reduction, and treatment, with the aim of increasing awareness on this cancer. Knowledge on the said areas can be a woman’s greatest protection against this cancer.

However apart from the fact that there are many information gaps that still need to be filled, ovarian cancer researches are conducted in response to this cancer’s high mortality rate. In the United States, ovarian cancer is the fifth among the gynecologic cancers that place women at the brink of death. Over 50% of all women diagnosed with the disease are about to die within a period of five years, researches show. It is with this fact that ovarian cancer research groups are exerting their best effort to uncover hidden truths about ovarian cancer.

As more as learned about this disease, we may find that there is less of a need for total abdominal hysterectomy and other highly invasive procedures.