2024-03-06 01:00:00
Local drama actress Li Qinning was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer when she was in the Mood for Love at the age of 33. She once said that she had been working out and dieting, and had no symptoms at all. It was not until she discovered a protrusion in her lower abdomen that she went to the doctor to be diagnosed with cancer. It’s almost unbelievable… In the past, ovarian cancer mostly occurred in menopausal people over the age of 50. In fact, in recent years, there have been more and more patients under the age of 40. The occurrence of ovarian cancer is undoubtedly a major blow to modern women.
Zhang Zhilong, director of the Medical Research Department of Mackay Memorial Hospital and senior attending physician in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, said that half of Taiwan’s ovarian cancer patients are already in the late stage (stage three or later) when they are discovered. Ovarian cancer is a gynecological killer that is easily ignored. Most of the patients seen in the gynecological cancer ward are ovarian cancer patients; the most terrifying threat of ovarian cancer is the high recurrence rate. Therefore, postoperative maintenance therapy is the most important key to disease control.
Picture source | Dr. Zhang Zhilong, Director of the Medical Research Department of Mackay Memorial Hospital
Ovarian cancer is currently found to be related to heredity and genes. A comparative example is Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie. She found that she had BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene defects and was assessed to have a higher risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer, so she underwent preventive surgery. .
It is difficult to detect by ultrasound, and there are no obvious symptoms of discomfort. Most of the findings are late.
In addition to genes, those who have a family history of ovarian cancer, have never had children, are obese, have early menstruation, and have endometriosis are all at higher risk. Dr. Zhang Zhilong pointed out that in recent years, it has also been found that among ovarian cancer patients 20% have endometriosis, so extra attention should be paid.
The reason why ovarian cancer is so severe is that the organ is located in the inner layer of the abdomen, so it is difficult to detect with ultrasound. In addition, there are no more accurate screening tools like cervical cancer. Therefore, patients usually develop cancer when the tumor is large enough to compress the intestines or stomach. Bladder lesions may cause frequent urination or defecation problems, and may even be mistaken for abdominal discomfort at first, thus delaying diagnosis and treatment.
Dr. Zhang Zhilong explained that the current treatment for ovarian cancer is mainly surgery. When the tumor is found to be highly malignant and there is no need for fertility, “ovarian cancer debulking surgery” will be performed to completely remove the uterus, both ovaries, fallopian tubes and other organs. , the purpose is to prevent the spread of cancer cells, but the key to the real prognosis is the thorough implementation of postoperative tracking and personalized treatment plans.
Patients with ovarian cancer have a high chance of recurrence and suffer from heavy physical and psychological stress.
Dr. Zhang Zhilong shared from his clinical experience that 70% to 80% of patients with advanced ovarian cancer will relapse within 1 to 1.5 years, which is undoubtedly a heavy psychological pressure for the patients. Fortunately, maintenance treatment with chemotherapy combined with targeted drugs can now cure the disease. Dramatically improve ovarian cancer survival rates.
There are currently two main target drugs for the treatment of ovarian cancer. One is “angiogenesis inhibitors”, which mainly eliminate cancer cells by blocking the growth of tumor blood vessels, and the other is “PARP inhibitors” , which causes cancer cells to die by blocking DNA repair in cancer cells.
Picture source | Dr. Zhang Zhilong, Director of the Medical Research Department of Mackay Memorial Hospital
With the advancement of medical research and development, advanced ovarian cancer can now be planned through genetic testing and precision medicine to plan individual treatments. Dr. Zhang Zhilong said that in the past, PARP inhibitors were effective once morest BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, HRD (Homologous Recombination Deficiency, Homologous Recombination Deficiency, Homologous Recombination Deficiency). The treatment effect is more significant for those who are positive for recombination repair deficiency); however, it has recently been discovered that in the HRP (gene unmutated) population, the original effect of targeted treatment with angiogenesis inhibitors has been limited, but now there has been a breakthrough – according to research data, HRP penetration PARP inhibitor treatment can not only effectively delay recurrence for up to 1 year, but also extend the survival rate.
The latest PARP inhibitor target drugs have been proven to be effective in prolonging the time to relapse
Dr. Zhang Zhilong shared with us that in his outpatient clinic, there was a housewife in her 50s, Mrs. Lin (pseudonym), who was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer. After the surgery, she thought she might return to a normal life, but because she still had Without maintenance treatment, the ovarian cancer recurred and metastasized to the brain. Dr. Zhang Zhilong encouraged Mrs. Lin to bravely accept the surgery and use the latest PARP inhibitor drugs for maintenance treatment following surgery. The results not only reduced side effects, but also achieved very good results. Mother Lin has been following up for 2 years now. She was worried at first, but now she can talk and laugh with the doctor, and the medical staff also feel very happy.
Dr. Zhang Zhilong emphasized that PARP inhibitor drugs only need to be taken orally once a day. In addition, they have few side effects and do not need to travel to the hospital all the time. This improves patient compliance and makes treatment more effective. He also encouraged ovarian cancer patients to bravely face surgery. Current medical treatment has been moving towards personalized and precise treatment. As long as they communicate with doctors and take active treatment, they can find the best way to return to health in a way that does not affect their lives.
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