Ovarian cancer battle on the improve
The battle in Australia against ovarian cancer is gradually making ground but still more than half of those diagnosed today will not survive five years, says a new report by the National Breast Cancer Centre (NBCC) and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
Overall, 42% of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer today can expect to be living five years after their diagnosis compared to 34% of women diagnosed in the period 1982-1986.
The most significant improvements in survival in the past 10 years have occurred in women aged 40 to 69 years. Ovarian cancer remains difficult to detect in its early stages but warning signs include abdominal bloating, unexplained weight gain or weight loss, changes in bowel or bladder habits, abdominal or pelvic pain, unusual fatigue and indigestion.
The rate of incidence of ovarian cancer in each age group remained unchanged at 12 to 13 new cases per 100,000 women from 1983 to 2002, but ageing of the population increased the number of cases diagnosed from 862 in 1983 to 1,273 in 2002. In contrast the death rate declined from 8.8 deaths per 100,000 people in 1983 to 7.5 per 100,000 in 2004, with a low of 7.1 per 100,000 in 2003.
