Ovarian cancer is a malignant tumor of the ovaries. It is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths that mostly occurs in women between the age of 55 and 65 in the United States. Ovarian cancer is more common in White women compared to African American women (Lewis, Dirksen, Heitkemper, and Bucher, 2014).
The cause of ovarian cancer is unknown. Although approximately 90% of ovarian cancers occur sporadically and do not have an association with a known pattern of inheritance, women are more susceptible due to family history with one or more first-degree relatives. Increased susceptibility of ovarian cancer is associated with the breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1) and mutations of BRCA2 or mismatched repair genes (HNPCC syndrome) (Lewis et al., 2014). When the BRCA genes are functioning normally, they have the ability to suppress tumor from proliferating. However, they lose the ability of tumor suppressor once they mutate, which increase the risk of developing ovarian or breast cancer.
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Due to a number of abnormalities and amplification of chromosomes, the epithelial ovarian tumors have been categorized into several types of histologic subtypes, which are serous, mucinous, endometroid, or undifferentiated. These tumors can be benign, borderline malignant, or frankly malignant. The malignant forms are collectively classed as ovarian adenocarcinomas and account for 90% of all ovarian malignancies (McCance et al, 2010, p.847). Serous tumors generally affect women from 50 to 55 years of age and are extremely rare in prepubertal girls. If the patients get treatment in stage 1, they usually have a 90% of 5-year survival rate, but it declines as the disease
Women who inherit a mutation in one copy of BRCA1 or BRCA2 are at high risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers6. This could be due to the disruption in the pathway of BRCA proteins in the cell nucleus. If BRCA1 is defective, it loses its ability to fix damaged DNA and causes tumor. It is because once the defective BRCA1 raises, it allows the cells to develop and divide uncontrollably. Since defective in BRCA1 causes cancers, it is important to understanding the function of the protein by analyzing its sequence and structure.
Gynaecological surgery refers to surgery performed on the female reproductive system For the purpose of this essay, I am going to discuss the role of the midwife in the care and management of a woman who has undergone a hysterectomy. Hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus (Oxford Dictionary of Nursing, 2014). It is major gynaecological surgery and the immediate post operative period is a very important time for recovery. As with every surgery, there are the associated risks attached. According to O'Connor et al, 2004, there is a 2% risk of infection, haemorrhage 0.5% and mortality 6-11 per 1000 regardless of which surgical method is used for the hysterectomy. Therefore, I am going to use relevant literature and guidelines to discuss
Cervical cancer possesses a high incidence rate of cancers among women. The uterine cervical cancer can be assessed at the squamo-columnar junction and the transformational zone. Within this site there is continuous metaplastic changes, between the squamous epithelium of the ectocervix and the columnar epithelium of the endocervix.
Considering the variation in clinical presentation of PCOS there was no fixed diagnostic criteria available until 1990. In April 1990 National Institutes of Health (NIH) held a conference and defined Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) as having 1) hyperandrogenism, 2) oligoovulation, and 3) exclusion of known dis...
At this point in time, scientists and doctors have yet to discover the specific causes for breast cancer. However, what is known are the different risk factors that may trigger or put women more at danger of acquiring this disease. Aged women who have experienced menopause are more vulnerable at containing this disease. Women are also more at risk if breast cancer is common within their family because it is hereditary. In addition, smoking and drinking are other factors that can put women at risk as well (Stephan, 2010). Obesity in particular is a huge risk factor. Women who are overweight, especially those who have a thicker upper body, are more likely to develop malignant cancers in the breast than a healthy woman (Vona-Davis and Rose, 2009).
In 1896 the scientist Beatson reported that the removal of the ovaries resulted in the reduction of breast cancer tumours (Russo and Irma 1998). Breast cancer is a malignant, metastasizing cancer of the mammary gland. It is the leading cause of death in woman between the ages of 35 - 45. Breast cancer can also occur in males, although less frequent, around 400 men die each year from breast cancer in the united states. (Martini, F., 2004). Studies on rats have shown considerable evidence that rat oestrogens are mammary carcinogens. Oestrogens have shown to stimulate the hormone prolactin. Through studies involving the use of antioestrogens, for example, tamoxifen, "Tamoxifen alone or in combination with the retina all trans-N-(4 hydroxyphenyl)-retinamide (4-HPR) reduces the incidence of NMU-induced mammary tumours in Sprague-Dawley rats." (Jane M. Ussher Ph.D. 1996). This suggests that Oestrogens and Prolactin's can have the effect of the development of breast cancer since the pathogenesis of spontaneous breast cancer in humans is similar to that of chemical-induced rodent mammary cancer. (Jane M. Ussher
It is associated with a higher risk of pregnancy complications and certain ovarian cancers. Due to the importance of this condition, it is critical that patients understand its causes, symptoms, and treatment. By the end of this article, you will have the answers to these essential questions:
Ovarian cancer is the abnormal growth of malignant cells in the ovaries, the egg (ovum) producing part of the female reproductive system. Often, Ovarian cancer goes undetected until it has metastasized (spread) to the pelvis and abdomen. At this late stage, this cancer is difficult to treat. Ovarian Cancer ranks as the 11th most common cancer among women, and it is the 5th leading cause of cancer-related death for women.
Colon cancer develops in the part of the gastrointestinal tract that absorbs water and minerals before waste products are disposed via the rectum. In women endometrial cancer is related to colon cancer. This type of cancer is the second leading cause of death due to cancer in the United States. Over one-hundred fifty thousand individuals will be diagnosed this year and this cancer will probably be responsible for about 47,900 deaths in 1999 (http://www.cancer.org). Most colon cancers are adenocarcinomas that develop from the glandular cells. Ninety percent of all colon cancer cases will develop in individuals after 50 years of age. Ninety percent of all tumors arise from polyps that are commonly found in people older than 50. Prevention includes regular exercise and a diet high in fiber. The most important risk factor is age. Medical screening includes a yearly blood occult test after age 50 and a colonoscopy every 3 years after age 50. Regular screening detects polyps that have become precancerous. If regular screening is not done, the cancer is not detected until blood is found in the...
Polycystic ovarian syndrome, commonly known as PCOS, is a condition in which the ovaries contain many cysts that are often fluid filled. It is said to be the most common endocrinologic disorder for modern-day women. According to the Health and Wellness Resource Center, ovaries are small organs in the lower abdomen of females. In fact, each one is only the size of an almond! However, with PCOS, as they fill with cysts, they must enlarge to accommodate the cysts. The US Department of Health and Human Services states that every 1 in 10 and 1 in 20 women of childbearing age have PCOS. Also, they state that as many as five million women in the United States alone may be affected. Even girls as young as eleven years old may be affected by PCOS. So, this has become a large part of the modern-day experience for many women and girls.
Cervical cancer is formed in the tissues of the cervix, an organ that connects the uterus and the vagina. Virtually all cervical cancers are caused by Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections (Schiffman et. al., 2007). HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. According to the CDC, 75% of sexually active people aged 15-49 have the infection at some point in their lives. (CDC). Because HPV infection is usually asymptomatic, infected people do not know exactly when they get the infection. In most cases, the body is able to fight off the virus before any symptom. However, health problems such as genital warts and cancer may result with persistent exposure to HPV.
Ovarian Cancer is a disease of uncontrollably dividing cancer cells in the ovary. Being one of the most devastating diseases to have, along with a limited number of treatment opportunities, it may feel like there has been a time stamp put on your life. With that said, there are four different types of ovarian cancer: epithelial tumors, germ cell carcinoma tumors, stromal carcinoma tumors, and small cell carcinoma of the ovary. Epithelium cancer is the fourth leading cause of death in women in the United States, killing approximately 140,000 women yearly.
The cause of endometriosis continues to remain unknown. It has been researched for many decades and...
As defined by Majure, breast cancer is an “uncontrolled growth of abnormal breast cells” (Majure: 110). It is also one of the cancers that women fear the most. Not only do women get diagnosed with breast cancer, men do too. However, it isn't as bad, or as common, in men as it is in women so doctors don’t recommend screening for men. In the U.S more than one thousand men get affected by breast cancer every year and about two hundred thousand women are affected by breast cancer every year. Women are most likely to get diagnosed with it in their forties and fifties while some may be diagnosed with breast cancer in their twenties, if they started their menstrual cycles at an early age like 14. Typically, men are diagnosed with breast cancer in their sixties or seventies.
The exact cause of endometrial cancer is unknown, but there are many risk factors that lead to what causes this cancer to grow rapidly, killing off thousands of women each yea. Endometrial cancer is usually found in women in the ages of 50s or 60s. Women, who are obese, fifty pounds over their ideal weight, are ten times greater at risk than women that are not obese. Body fat produces estrogen and the higher level of estrogen is believed to increase the risk of cancer. This is believed because women with excess fat have higher levels of estrogen. Women that have not been pregnant are at three time’s higher risk. Women who have their p...