The ovarian tumor, which may occur in the ovaries of women, may be positively or negatively identified as cancer. This can be determined according to the occurrence timing by women who are in menopause. Here’s some information to help you know more about ovarian tumors that can help you with their early detection and treatment.

High retention among young women of ovarian tumors called functional ovarian cysts

• The woman’s ovaries produce both the ovum and sex hormones. A tumor in an ovary can be negative or positive. But an adolescent or young woman’s ovarian tumor mostly tends to be positive, and then it is called a functional ovarian cyst.

  Functional ovarian cysts are diagnosed in an ultrasound test. The hormone variability which is affected by the menstrual cycle lets a body naturally get healed in three to six months so surgery is rarely needed for the treatment of ovarian cysts.

  However, even if it is seen as a benign tumor, and it accompanies Pelvic Inflammatory Disease due to some bacterial infection in the pelvis and Endometriosis (when the endometrial cells grow on different parts but not the uterus, and cause cramps), it may lead to the possibilities of sterility or fertility and so treatment is really important.

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The characteristics of a benign tumor are:

- It mostly occurs in females of the young generation such as adolescents and those of child-bearing age.

- It can get naturally healed in three to six months.

- Surgery is rarely needed.

- Treatment is really important when it is accompanied by Pelvic Inflammatory Disease and Endometriosis.

■ A malignant tumor confirmed as ‘ovarian cancer’ is found after progress

Woman in menopause have a greater likelihood of being identified negatively as ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer is hard to be discovered in the early stage unless the cancer size is big enough for it to be recognized.

Two-thirds of ovarian cancer patients are detected after Stage 3 when the cancer already spreads in the stomach. Beyond Stage 3, the survival rate for 5 years is less than 30% and the treatment result is not so good. Therefore, it is recommended that one has a gynecological check-up periodically.

The main symptoms of ovarian cancer are pain, abdominal distension, metrorrhagia and so on. Besides, the following symptoms can occur such as gastrointestinal disorders, indigestion, loss of appetite, premenstrual syndrome, breast hypertrophy, hypermenorrhea, and so on.

Early diagnosis and prompt treatment is important but there’s no effective screening test for discovering malignant ovarian cancer in its early stages until now.

So, it is recommended that women have annual cancer screening including a transvaginal ultrasound test and a blood test.

■ Ovarian tumor is rarely found in the early stage so a regular check-up is recommended

Ovarian tumors are rarely found only in the case of cysts. Ovarian tumors have no symptom except in the following cases: when it bursts, twists or becomes big. So they are hard to find without regular check-ups.

When you find an ovarian tumor in a young adult, you should take them to a gynecologist so that they can maintain their ovaries and fertility. Ovarian tumors are recognized to be positive or negative in terms of age, symptoms, family medical history, and through ultrasound and blood tests. After recognizing a benign tumor, it must be carefully watched. The person with the tumor should consider an operation if it gets bigger than 5cm or the tumor marker test level increases aberrantly.

Ovarian cancer shows the highest survival rate when it’s fully removed by surgical operation. After the operation, chemotherapy is followed according to the patient’s condition.

When the body is not suited for an operation, chemotherapy precedes it as treatment.

※ How to discover an ovarian tumor early enough and prevent ovarian cancer:

- Have a regular check-up once a year

- Multiple births

- Breast-feeding

- In the case of a patient in the high-risk group, tubo-ovariotomy is needed after childbirth

- In the case of a patient in the high-risk group who is non-married, taking oral contraceptives is necessary

- Exercise at least twice a week