Contents:
- Medical Video: Ovarian cancer symptoms - Recognizing ovarian cancer signs
- Symptoms and signs of ovarian cancer during pregnancy
- The usual test for ovarian cancer
- Steps that need to be taken for the treatment of ovarian cancer while pregnant
- 1. Surgery
- 2. Chemotherapy
- Effect of ovarian cancer on the fetus
Medical Video: Ovarian cancer symptoms - Recognizing ovarian cancer signs
Ovarian cancer is a cancer that attacks ovarian cells. This cancer is among the ten cancers that often occur in Indonesian women. The risk of ovarian cancer during pregnancy is generally quite low, which is 1: 18,000 from each pregnancy.
Ovarian cancer that occurs during pregnancy can usually be detected more quickly. This is because people who are pregnant more often check with the obstetrician to see the condition of the fetus they contain. If you are diagnosed with ovarian cancer while pregnant, you should consult with several experts to get the best solution, for example in cancer experts, obstetricians and pediatricians.
Symptoms and signs of ovarian cancer during pregnancy
Symptoms and signs of ovarian cancer during pregnancy are the same as symptoms when not pregnant. In the initial phase there are usually no significant symptoms and characteristics. Even if you feel it, it may feel light to be difficult to distinguish from the inconvenience caused by the pregnancy itself.
The following are some of the symptoms that usually mark ovarian cancer:
- Stomach feels bloated and painful
- Heartburn
- Lack of appetite
- Feel full quickly when eating
- Frequent urination
- Fatigue
- Back pain
- Constipation (difficulty defecating for days or weeks)
Some of the above symptoms generally make it possible to appear during pregnancy. However, if you feel a worse condition, immediately consult a doctor for further examination.
The usual test for ovarian cancer
Usually the doctor will do a series of tests to diagnose cancer. Diagnosis is usually done by ultrasound (USG), MRI, and CT scan. However, CT scans produce radiation that is not safe for babies conceived. So that MRI and ultrasound can be an alternative because they tend to be much safer.
The CA-125 blood test (a tumor marker for ovarian cancer) is also usually done to diagnose ovarian cancer, but it is not entirely accurate during pregnancy. This is because pregnancy can increase CA-125 itself.
Steps that need to be taken for the treatment of ovarian cancer while pregnant
The goal of treating ovarian cancer during pregnancy is to save the lives of mothers and babies. The treatment you will choose depends on how severe your cancer condition is and how it affects the body. In this case, the doctor will know more about the best solution for healing.
Generally there are two types of treatment that are commonly done, namely:
1. Surgery
If surgery is needed, then it can be done after you give birth. Another case if during pregnancy you feel extreme pain or other complications such as bleeding. Then surgery during pregnancy may be needed. All this goes back to the doctor's decision to understand which exact steps should be taken.
In the early stages, surgery will usually be performed to remove the part of the ovary that is affected by cancer cells. However, if the cancer has spread throughout the ovary, it is possible to remove the uterus.
If the pregnancy is less than 24 weeks, the removal of the uterus will obviously end the pregnancy and the fetus will not survive. However, if the gestational age is more than 24 weeks but still less than 36 weeks, a caesarean section is needed to remove the baby. Then the process of removing the new uterus will be done. All considerations regarding surgery can you consult directly with the obstetrician as clearly as possible.
2. Chemotherapy
Studies in Europe say chemotherapy can be undertaken during pregnancy. Fetuses whose mothers received chemotherapy in the second or third trimester of pregnancy can develop normally. However, chemotherapy is generally not recommended during the first trimester, because of the risk of birth defects. Radiation therapy in the first trimester is also feared to have a harmful impact on your baby.
Effect of ovarian cancer on the fetus
According to experts, ovarian cancer is not one type of cancer that can spread to the fetus. If you are in a doctor's care, usually the team of doctors will continue to monitor to ensure that your cancer does not affect the baby in the womb.
Whatever treatment you take, you need close monitoring for the maintenance of the condition of the mother and baby. In addition, always consult the development of your condition to the doctor to get the best treatment.
