On-demand | Making a Difference: Expediting Diagnosis of Ovarian Cancer

On-demand | Making a Difference: Expediting Diagnosis of Ovarian Cancer is organized by Brown Alpert Medical School.

Program Release: December 16, 2020
Expiration Date: December 16, 2022

Description:
Historically, ovarian cancer was called the silent killer because symptoms were not thought to develop until the chance of cure was poor. However, recent studies have proven this untrue and have recognized that identifying early symptoms can be critical in order to improve outcomes. It has now been shown that the following new and/or persistent symptoms are likely to occur in women with ovarian cancer, and at times in patients with early-stage disease: bloating; pelvic or abdominal pain; difficulty eating or feeling full quickly; and urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency).

The presenting symptoms are often mistaken for something else like irritable bowel syndrome, menopause, constipation, or indigestion, and this results in delayed diagnosis. Many women ignore or downplay important symptoms that can be critical for an earlier diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Likewise, healthcare providers often do not recognize the urgency of evaluating symptoms and appropriate referral to a gynecologic oncologist to improve overall prognosis and survival. Some patients may lack the most common symptoms of ovarian cancer but may have other or no presenting symptoms.

When a woman is diagnosed and treated in the earliest stages, the five-year survival rate is over 90 percent, Due to ovarian cancer’s nonspecific symptoms and lack of early detection tests, only about 15 percent of cases are identified early (stage I or II). If detected at stage III or higher, the five-year survival rate can be as low as 28 percent.

Learning Objectives:
After completing this course, the learner should be better able to: 
• Identify the benefits of rapid referral of women with ovarian cancer to Gynecologic Oncologists.
• Recognize the factors that influence the staging of ovarian cancer at diagnosis.
• Describe how expediting the process of differential diagnosis can improve overall outcomes.
• Appreciate the importance of cancer genetic testing and counseling and its relationship to obtaining a comprehensive cancer family history.
• Access tools to empower primary care providers and specialists to improve outcomes for women with ovarian cancer.
• Learn about other collaborative projects associated with this grant including RI’s Survivor’s Teaching Students® and projects completed through groups in Iowa and Michigan.