Abdominal pain common in ovarian cancer patients in city
Mumbai: Generic abdominal pain is the most common symptom among ovarian cancer patients in the city, along with late motherhood and obesity, found a study done by gynaecologists of a state-run hospital.
“This is the first research paper from a long-running study we have undertaken to identify the etiology and symptoms of ovarian cancer among Indian women,” said Dr Tushar Palve , superintendent of state-run Cama Hospital near CST.
Infection due to the human papillomavirus is associated with cervical cancer and high levels of estrogen in the body are linked to endometrial cancer. “However, there is no such clear association for ovarian cancer. Even if a woman has a six-cm mass growing on her ovaries, it would be palpable only in a thin woman and not in one who is overweight,” said Dr Palve, who is the main author of the study.
Every fifth patient in the study identified stomach ache as their initial symptoms. Around 16% identified bloating and abdominal distension, while every tenth patient mentioned stomach pain along with fatigue and weight loss as the main symptoms. In 13%, doctors found a genetic link for the cancer.
Ovarian cancer is often described as a silent cancer because it’s usually detected very late. “As it doesn’t have any specific symptom, it’s difficult to diagnose in the early stages,” said a senior doctor from a BMC-run hospital.
The Cama study is trying to look for early patterns among patients. “As part of the study, we take history of ovarian cancer patients right from their childhood, trying to capture information about viral infections, vaccination, birth control pills, gap between children, among others,” said Dr Palve.
The study also found that women who had delayed motherhood, had less than two children and were overweight had a positive association with ovarian cancer. Around 3% of all cancer cases in India are ovarian.
Globally, there were 2.4 lakh cases, and 1.5 lakh deaths from ovarian cancer in 2012, with some 6 lakh women living within five years of a diagnosis. It is estimated that by 2035, incidence will increase by 55% to 3.7 lakh and deaths will increase by 67% to 2.54 lakh.
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