Abu Dhabi: It is the female cancer with the highest rate of mortality, but awareness about ovarian cancer remains dismally low in the UAE, medical professionals have warned.
As a result of this limited awareness, and a lack of international screening guidelines, nearly 45 per cent of patients with ovarian cancer succumb to the disease within five years, they added.
“Just compare this to breast cancer, the most common female cancer. It affects far more women across the world, but about 90 per cent of patients survive beyond the five-year mark,” Dr Maroun Khoury, consultant oncologist at American Hospital Dubai, told Gulf News.
Ovarian cancer is known to kill about 140,000 women annually. Its prevalence is recorded at about 20 per cent of breast cancer cases, and it is the seventh most common cancer in women worldwide. For the UAE, it would mean that there are about 100 to 150 new cases diagnosed each year, although exact statistics are not available, Dr Khoury said.
Unfortunately, ovarian cancer presents symptoms that can easily be mistaken as signs of other conditions. As a result, most patients are only diagnosed in the advanced stages when the survival rate is much lower, said Dr Mohanad Diab, consultant in medical oncology at NMC Speciality Hospital.
“Patients typically experience persistent bloating and increased abdominal girth, as well as difficulty eating because they feel full too quickly. They also feel increased pressure on the bladder and have to urinate more frequently, and have abdominal or pelvic pain,” he added.
The biggest protector against the disease, often referred to as the silent killer, is to get checked by a gynaecologist every two to three years. Doctors said, however, that most women in the UAE do not visit their gynaecologists unless they experience some trouble.
“With regular checks, which include pelvic and abdominal ultrasounds, masses associated with ovarian cancers could be detected and removed,” Dr Khoury said.
While age is one of the biggest risk factors for women, 15 per cent of patients also have a genetic risk for the disease. This means having a relative who has suffered from ovarian cancer, or from breast cancer before 50 years of age.
According to Dr Diab, ovarian cancer is also seen among younger women in the UAE.
“People who have a family history of cancers should therefore be screened for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations via a blood test. The mutations are more common among Asian women and increase their risk of developing cancers. If diagnosed with it, women can opt for mastectomies and ovariectomies, or be closely followed up every six months to ensure that they are cancer-free,” he explained.
