The 7 Biggest Ovarian Cancer Myths

Ovarian cancer is often nicknamed “the silent killer”, but the reality is that ovarian cancer’s deadliness depends on a number of factors. The biggest factor is the stage at which the cancer is diagnosed. Those who catch ovarian cancer at stage 1 or 2 of the disease have an 80-90% survival rate, an extraordinarily high survival rate for any cancer. While stage 3 and 4 are unfortunately deadlier, they are not necessarily a death sentence. The 5-year survival rate (the rate at which patients survive at least 5 years) for stage 3 ovarian cancer is around 66%. Even for those diagnosed at the deadliest stage, stage 4, there is a 40% survival rate. Later stages are obviously deadlier, but there is hope. New treatments like intraperitoneal therapy (chemotherapy through the abdominal lining) are increasing the survival rate and lengthening the lifespan of those affected with later stages of the disease. That being said, the takeaway from this is that you still should get regularly tested in order to catch the disease early. It can be difficult for some because ovarian cancer is often thought to have no warning signs, but that is not necessarily the case.