Treatment of Ovarian Cancer In Israel

Ovaries are a paired organ of the female reproductive system located in the pelvic area. As in any other organs, malignant neoplasms, collectively called "ovarian cancer," may appear in its tissues.

According to the incidence of cancer among women, this disease ranks 7th, and among the causes of death of women from oncopathology it is on the 5th. Among all other malignant tumors of the genital organs, he is most dangerous by the latent course of the disease at an early stage, the propensity for rapid growth and metastasis.

More often malignant foci arise in the epithelial cells of the ovaries. In more rare cases, the cancer develops from stromal cells that produce female hormones (estrogen and progesterone) and germinal cells - producing eggs.

Among the reasons contributing to the development of ovarian cancer, hormonal failure is indicated, which is confirmed by the incidence of women at the age of menopause and the established link between ovarian cancer and breast cancer. A certain role in the development of the disease is played by hereditary predisposition.

The cause for the development of cancer can serve as inflammatory diseases and ovarian cysts. The factor of the appearance of ovarian cancer can be the influence of external chemical, radiation and stress factors.

Ovarian cancer is classified into:

- Primary, arising as an independent disease and, usually, affects both ovaries at once;

- secondary, when the cause of ovarian cancer is a degenerated cyst;

- metastasizing, developing when the cancer cells enter the ovaries with bloodstream from the primary tumor focus. Most often, this focus is cancer of the stomach.

The insidiousness of the disease lies in the absence of symptoms at an early stage in the development of ovarian cancer, even if both are affected. Usually, a tumor in such cases is detected by accident, when examined for another reason.

Most often, ovarian cancer is detected at a late stage, when the tumor has already transcended the organ. The disease can be manifested by signs: frequent urge to urinate, discomfort and pain in the abdomen or pelvic region, menstrual irregularities, a feeling of heaviness and overflow in the lower abdomen, symptoms of intoxication of the body with the products of tumor decay - emaciation, general malaise, weakness, pallor, loss of appetite, A violation of sleep, an increase in the size of the abdomen as a result of tumor growth, coughing, shortness of breath. If a woman observes these symptoms within a year, she should seek medical help to find out the disease as soon as possible.

The following main stages of ovarian cancer are distinguished:

I - malignant process does not go beyond the ovaries;

II - the tumor spread to the organs of the small pelvis - the uterus, the bladder, the fallopian tubes;

III - the tumor metastasized into the abdominal cavity, affecting the liver and lymph nodes;

IV - the presence of distant metastases.

Diagnosis of ovarian cancer in Israel begins with an examination of the gynecologist, during which the doctor can test an enlarged ovary. If a palpable formation is found, ultrasound (ultrasound) of the pelvic organs and abdominal cavity, including transvaginal, is performed.

To clarify the diagnosis, it is recommended that laparoscopy or diagnostic laparotomy be performed with biopsies of ovarian tissue and ascitic fluid for cytological and histological analysis. The degree of prevalence of the oncological process is assessed using computer and magnetic resonance imaging (CT and MRI) of the abdominal cavity, as well as positron emission tomography (PET-CT).

A detailed blood test is performed, including a check for cancer markers - substances produced by cancer cells.

Today, clinics in Israel successfully use early diagnosis of ovarian cancer with the Ovasix test, which measures the concentration of 6 specific proteins in the blood. Its accuracy is 95%.

If families have had cases of breast or ovarian cancer, they are advised to undergo genetic testing to identify the mutation of the BRCA gene associated with the development of these pathologies.

Treatment of ovarian cancer in Israel and its methods are selected depending on the stage of the disease, age and general condition of the patient.

The surgical method is preferable in the treatment of ovarian cancer. With a localized form of cancer, the uterus with appendages is removed, if it spreads into the abdominal cavity, then during the operation all the tissues affected by the tumor are removed as far as possible.

Operative methods for the treatment of ovarian cancer in Israel are complemented by chemotherapy and radiation, and taking into account the hormone dependence of ovarian cancer - hormonocorrection. Modern medicines for the treatment of ovarian cancer in Israel have fewer side effects and are much more easily tolerated by patients. With common forms of cancer, chemotherapy drugs are injected directly into the abdominal cavity with the help of a special catheter, which allows to influence cancer cells here by a greater concentration of agents and to avoid a general toxic effect on the body.

Radiotherapy in the treatment of ovarian cancer in Israel is less common and can be remote and local through the introduction of a radioactive isotope of gold into the abdominal cavity.

Survival in the treatment of ovarian cancer in Israel at the initial stages is 95%, in the III-IV stages - 30%, which is the best results in the world.