Ovarian (ovarian) cancer prevention

According to data from Globocan in 2018, ovarian cancer caused 7,842 deaths. The large number of deaths caused by diseases that have just been detected at an advanced stage. The good news is, there are various preventative measures for ovarian cancer that you can apply. What are the ways to prevent ovarian cancer? Come on, see the following reviews.

Ovarian cancer prevention measures

Although the cause of ovarian cancer is not known with certainty, health experts have found various factors that can increase the risk of cancer. That way, avoiding, limiting, or doing things that are contrary to risk factors, can be an approach to prevent ovarian cancer.

This is very important to apply, especially to people who are at risk. For example, have passed menopause or have family members with similar diseases or colon and breast cancer.

The following are various ovarian cancer prevention measures that you can take, including:

1. Use birth control pills

Using birth control pills is one way to prevent ovarian cancer in women who are at risk or who have BRCA gene mutations in their bodies. The BRCA gene is known as a gene inherited from parents that can increase a person's risk of ovarian cancer.

Women who take birth control pills for 5 years have a 50% lower risk of developing ovarian cancer than women who have never taken birth control pills.

The mechanism of birth control pills in reducing the risk of cancer is due to the reduced number of ovulations that women experience during their lifetime. This condition can reduce the high levels of certain hormones in the body that can trigger the cells around the ovaries to become abnormal.

Although proven to prevent ovarian cancer, taking birth control pills can also increase the risk of breast cancer and cervical cancer. That is why, you must first consult with your doctor before using birth control pills.

The doctor will help consider the benefits as well as the side effects of using these birth control pills.

2. Breastfeeding

The next ovarian cancer prevention measure that you can consider is breastfeeding. According to a 2020 study from the journal JAMA Oncology, women who breastfeed can lower their risk of epithelial tumor-type ovarian cancer by 24 percent. The reduction in risk will be even greater if the time to breastfeed is also longer.

Epithelial tumor itself is a cancer that occurs in cells that are on the outer surface of the ovary. This type most often affects women, almost 75% of cases of ovarian cancer are epithelial tumors.

3. Childbirth

Women who experience repeated miscarriages (imperfect pregnancies) or do not give birth at all have a greater risk of ovarian cancer than women who give birth. Based on these findings, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that childbirth is one of the preventive measures for ovarian cancer.

However, deeper research has also found that the risk of ovarian cancer increases when a woman experiences her first pregnancy after age 35. This is your consideration in planning when it is safe to have a baby.

4. Consider gynecological surgery

The next way to prevent ovarian cancer is to consider undergoing gynecological surgery (relating to reproductive organs) such as a hysterectomy. Ovarian cancer prevention measures may need to be done in women who are at high risk, but it is still under the doctor's consideration of the benefits or side effects.

A hysterectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the uterus in women. For women who have a family history of ovarian cancer or breast cancer, hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (removal of the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes) can help reduce the risk.

Some doctors also recommend that the ovaries and uterus be removed after a woman experiences menopause or nears menopause to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer.

5. Routine health checks

Family cancer syndrome is one of the risk factors for ovarian cancer. If you do have this risk, you need to undergo regular health checks. During this test, you will undergo genetic counseling, a thorough personal health assessment, and / or your family may also need it.

Carrying out routine health checks helps you detect ovarian cancer early if it occurs at any time. Recognizing ovarian cancer early gives a 94% chance for patients to live more than 5 years after the cancer diagnosis is made.

6. Avoid things that increase the risk of cancer

The cause of ovarian cancer is unknown, but there is the same possibility as the cause of cancer in general, namely mutations in DNA in cells. This cell mutation can be triggered by various carcinogenic things, such as smoking and drinking alcohol.

You also have to maintain a diet, such as increasing the consumption of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. You should also limit your consumption of foods that have the potential to increase your risk of cancer, such as red meat, processed foods, and sugary foods.

The next step to prevent ovarian cancer is to maintain an ideal body weight. The reason is, obesity can increase various types of cancer, including ovarian cancer. Therefore, you must try to perfect a healthy lifestyle by doing regular exercise.

7. Recognize the symptoms of ovarian cancer

Understanding ovarian cancer symptoms including ways to prevent ovarian cancer. Symptoms include swelling of the stomach accompanied by pain, abdominal bloating and fullness even after eating a little, frequent urination and weight loss drastically for no apparent reason.

If you feel the above symptoms and suspect it is a symptom of ovarian cancer, you should immediately see a doctor. The sooner it is detected, the later ovarian cancer treatment may be less complex.

Although some of the actions above can be a way to prevent cancer. However, not everyone can do it. Consult the oncologist about which ovarian cancer prevention measures are the most appropriate and safe for you to do.