Because ovarian cancer is often detected so late (and consequently difficult to treat because of the late stage at which it is detected), studying the epidemiology of the disease is important. Epidemiology answers questions like:
Who gets this disease?
Does it affect some groups more than others?
What is the frequency at which patients are diagnosed with this disease?
What kinds of patterns does this disease follow?
Answering questions on epidemiology helps researchers pinpoint patterns that may hold clues to how we treat and combat specific diseases.
Who gets ovarian cancer?
Each year, about 20,000 women in the US get ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer causes more deaths than any other cancer of the female
reproductive system, but it accounts for only about 3% of all cancers in
women. This means it is a very deadly type of cancer. Caucasian women get ovarian cancer the most, followed by Hispanic women, with black women and Asian women getting it less frequently.
Does it affect some groups more than others?
Yes! Besides the previously mentioned racial patterns, age, parity, and patter of menstrual cycle influences who is at risk for ovarian cancer. Several factors are protective against ovarian cancer, such as having children, breastfeeding, and taking oral contraceptives. Groups at risk for ovarian cancer include:
-Women who have never conceive a child (nulliparity)
- Women over the age of 40
-Women who began menses early, or who reached menopause late
-Women who receive hormone replacement therapy
What is the frequency at which this disease is diagnosed?
Ovarian cancer is the seventh most commonly diagnosed cancer in women (and 18th most common overall) worldwide. Approximately 239,000 cases were diagnosed in 2012, accounting for about 4% of new cancer cases in women worldwide. This type of cancer is higher in low- to middle- income countries. This correlation could be diet related, as research is showing that ovarian cancer may be related to body fat content. With lower incomes being associated with poor diets, empty calories, and obesity, it is not hard to see how poor diets contribute to hyperinsulineamia, which increases the risk of many types of cancer.
For more information on ovarian cancer please visit these websites (which were used in the making of this blog):
Center for Disease Control and Prevention @ http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/ovarian/statistics/index.htm
http://www.aicr.org/continuous-update-project/reports/ovarian-cancer-2014-report.pdf
National Ovarian Cancer Coalition @ http://www.ovarian.org/research.php
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