Ovarian Cancer: What You Need to Know

Do you know what the signs and risk factors are?

Pay Attention to Your Doc - Not every doc is a good one. Some might not listen to your concerns or make you feel bad about your sex life. Pay attention to what your doc says, how they talk to you, how difficult it is to make an appointment and how long you have to wait to be seen. If you’re not happy, it’s OK to find a new doctor.  (Photo: PhotoInc/Getty Images)

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September Is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month - This month marks Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. While we spend so much effort talking about breast and cervix cancer, we often ignore ovarian cancer, which is just as important and even deadlier. Learn more about this type of cancer, possible symptoms and treatment options. —Kellee Terrell (Photo: PhotoInc/Getty Images)

What Is Ovarian Cancer? - Ovarian cancer is a type of cancer that begins forming in the ovaries. A woman’s two ovaries are placed on the right and left side of one’s uterus. In its early stages, ovarian cancer shows very little symptoms if any and is often undiagnosed until it spreads to the pelvis or abdomen, writes the Mayo Clinic. (Photo: ericsphotography/Getty Images)

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What Is Ovarian Cancer? - Ovarian cancer is a type of cancer that begins forming in the ovaries. A woman’s two ovaries are placed on the right and left side of one’s uterus. In its early stages, ovarian cancer shows very little symptoms if any and is often undiagnosed until it spreads to the pelvis or abdomen, writes the Mayo Clinic. (Photo: ericsphotography/Getty Images)

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How Does It Form? - Ovarian cancer starts with the growth of malignant (cancerous) cells around the ovaries that over time grow out of control. Ovarian cancer is the deadliest form of cancer in women’s reproductive health.(Photo: dpa /Landov)

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The Four Stages of Ovarian Cancer - There are four stages of this type of cancer, according to the Mayo Clinic. Stage I: Ovarian cancer is in one or both ovaries. Stage II: Ovarian cancer has spread to other locations in the pelvis, such as the uterus or fallopian tubes. Stage III: Ovarian cancer has spread beyond the pelvis or to the lymph nodes within the abdomen. Stage IV: Ovarian cancer has spread to organs beyond the abdomen, such as the liver or the lungs.(Photo: Medical Body Scans/Getty Images)

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Symptoms and Signs on Ovarian Cancer - Potential symptoms include: bloating, pelvic pain, frequent urination and not feeling full after eating. Other possible signs include: fatigue, pain during sex, back pain, heartburn or upset stomach and constipation during your period. (Photo: i love images/Getty Images)

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Electronic Health Records - Insurers will be required to provide electronic health records, which will reduce paperwork and costs and make it easier for health care providers, from physicians to pharmacists, to access a patient's information.  (Photo: Getty Images/STOCK)

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Black Women and Ovarian Cancer - While white women are more likely to develop this type of cancer, Black women with ovarian cancer are more likely to die from the disease. To date, only 300 of us have been in studies about the cancer over the years, writes The Grio. Thankfully, a future 2015 study would look at how the disease impacts us. (Photo: Todd Pearson/Getty Images)

More Research Links Racial Oppression and PTSD - Can racism cause post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? A new Psychology Today article sheds light on the emotional impact that experiencing racial oppression can have. Past data shows that Blacks have higher rates of PTSD compared to whites and we are more likely to have difficulties performing everyday activities and going to work because of it. (Photo: Image Source / Getty Images)

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How Common Is It? - Every year, more than 20,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with ovarian cancer, which is the fifth leading cause of cancer death for women and accounts for more than 14,000 deaths a year.

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What Are the Screening Options? - Doctors can check for ovarian cancer through a routine pelvic exam, but early diagnosis at this stage doesn’t happen often. You can get an ultrasound or a blood test that checks the levels of the C25 protein in your blood. But as the National Ovarian Cancer Association points out, 20 percent of women with ovarian cancer never have elevated C25 levels. (Photo: Photomondo/ Getty Images)

Tony Hansberry Jr.  - Whiz kid Tony Hansberry Jr., 18, was a student at Darnell Cookman School of Medical Arts when he developed a technique that reduces the surgical time for hysterectomies. Hansberry’s method proved to be three times faster than the traditional method. In 2009, Hansberry, age 15 at the time, demonstrated his technique to a large assembly of doctors and surgeons as part of the University of Florida’s medical education week. (Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/GettyImages)

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Ovarian Cancer Treatment - Common treatment for ovarian cancer once it’s been diagnosed is surgery to remove the tumors; chemotherapy that uses chemicals in the blood to kill cancer cells; or radiation therapy, which uses X-rays to shrink tumors. (Photo: RENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/GettyImages)

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Does an Ovarian Cyst Mean Cancer? - Ovarian cysts, fluid trapped in sacs that are attached to your ovaries, for the most part are harmless and quite common for women during their childbearing years. Ovarian cysts can range in size from a pea to an orange. Yet for some, these cysts can speak to something more serious, such as ovarian cancer, pelvic disease and endometriosis. (Photo: LWA/Dann Tardif/Getty Images)

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