This January 15, Chris Evert, the former American tennis champion, revealed on social networks that she was suffering from ovarian cancer. What are the symptoms of this gynecological pathology? Explanations.
- Each year, approximately 5,200 cases of ovarian cancer are recorded in France.
- Ovarian cancer can be asymptomatic for a long time.
- Surgery and drug treatments are the main treatments for ovarian cancer.
“I wanted to let you know that I have been diagnosed with stage 1 ovarian cancer. I feel very lucky that it was caught in time and I am awaiting positive results from my chemotherapy treatment.” That’s what 67-year-old tennis legend Chris Evert wrote in a post on his Twitter account on January 15. “Thank you for respecting my need to focus on my health and treatment. You will see me appear from home at times during ESPN’s Australian Open coverage,” added the winner of 18 Grand Slam titles in the 70s and 80s.
On the site of the sports television channel ESPN, where she is a consultant, Chris Evert said her ovarian cancer was discovered after a preventive hysterectomy (surgery to remove the uterus) in early December. The American said the tumor was not detected in other parts of her body. On December 13, she was operated on for a second time and had tests. The verdict is in: the tumor has been removed.
This week, the former player completed the first of her six chemotherapy sessions. Chris Evert said that during the sessions, she thought of her sister, Jeanne Evert Dubin, who died of ovarian cancer in 2020. “She will help me overcome this ordeal”, she confided. According to his surgeon, there is “more than 90% chance” that his cancer never comes back, after the chemotherapy. The sixty-something clarified that she wanted to talk about her illness “to help others” women.
How does it develop?
This gynecological condition is the 8th most common cancer in women, according to Gustave Roussy Institute, Cancer Center. This disease develops from different cells. When the cancer cells are few in number and located on the outer stump of the organ, it is called ovarian adenocarcinoma. This type of ovarian cancer occurs in 90% of cases. In 10% of cases, it is a non-epithelial tumor of the ovary. The latter affects the stromal or germ cells of the organ.
Risk factors for ovarian cancer
“An elderly woman, who has accumulated a large number of genetic mutations during her life, has a greater risk of developing ovarian cancer than a young subject. Thus, the average age at diagnosis is 65 years “, precise the Cancer Research Foundation. Another risk factor: a hereditary genetic anomaly, such as a mutation of the BRCA 1 or 2 genes or more rarely of one of the Lynch syndrome genes. Hormonal factors, such as early puberty or late menopause, could also increase the risk of ovarian cancer.
What are the warning signs?
Ovarian cancer can remain silent for a long time. The symptoms of the disease appear gradually, as the tumor progresses, which is why it is often detected at an advanced stage. However, certain signs may indicate ovarian cancer. Among these manifestations, there are digestive disorders (bloating, nausea, stomach pain) and gynecological disorders (bleeding, abnormal vaginal discharge, disruption of menstruation). This disease is also manifested by urinary loss, pelvic pain, an increase in the volume of the abdomen or a feeling of abdominal discomfort.
Available treatments
“Whatever the context of discovery of an ovarian mass, a certain number of examinations must be carried out to confirm the diagnosis of cancer and to evaluate the stage, that is to say its degree of extension”, can we read on the website of the National Cancer Institute.
Different treatments can be used to manage ovarian cancer. There is surgery, which consists of completely removing the tumor lesions, and chemotherapy.
.
