Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Prognosis of Ovarian Cancer, Nothing is Set in Stone


The definition of a prognosis is a professional medical opinion about the most likely course and outcome of a particular disease based on records from hundreds of patients with the disease.However, there are many factors that can influence your individual ovarian cancer prognosis. Some of these factors include a patients overall health, their response to treatments and the stage of the cancer. This is why an ovarian cancer prognosis can never accurately predict the future for a woman with ovarian cancer.It is easy to see why women who have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer are worried about their future. Among women, ovarian cancer is the fourth leading death from cancer. In order to help patients and their family plan for treatment, lifestyle changes and financial issues it is best to learn as much about the disease as possible so you know what is likely to happen in the future months. Often those who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer are anxious to hear their prognosis. As a result, many go to their doctors or research statistics associated with ovarian cancer.The simple definition of an ovarian cancer prognosis is the fact that it provides a patient with their probability of pulling through and recovering from the cancer or suffering a recurrence. A return of the cancer is always an issue with whether or not a patient wants to continue treatments.Some of the factors a doctor will consider when making an ovarian cancer prognosis include the following:
•The type and location of the cancer
•The stage of the cancer and how far it has spread to other areas of the body
•The age, overall health and treatment reaction of the woman
Before a doctor discusses a patient's prognosis and attempt to determine what will happen, all of these factors are considered carefully. Doctors will also base their prognosis on data from researchers that has been gathered throughout the years from hundreds or thousands of cancer patients. These statistics will often help a doctor to consider patients in a similar situation to that of the individual they are treating.When a patient has a positive response to cancer treatment then they will often get a positive prognosis. However, if a patient has a poor response to treatment then they will likely get a unfavorable prognosis. It is important for women to remember that a prognosis is simply a prediction of what the doctor thinks will happen, but it is never completely accurate regarding the final outcome of a patient's treatment.A doctor who has spent a lot of time with the patient will have the most current information about the patient's illness. This is why it is important for cancer patients to stay with the same doctor in order to increase the strength of the prognosis.It is important to realize that a doctor can't guarantee a prognosis to be accurate. A prognosis can quickly change if the cancer spreads or if there is a positive response to treatment. An ovarian cancer prognosis should simply be a guide to help a patient prepare for how they are going to deal with the illness.
Source by ezinearticles.com

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