Life Expectancy after Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer has become the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the world as of now. Because of the risks of a high-stress lifestyle, the ovaries become easier targets for carcinogenic compounds to act upon. Depending on the type of cells one has, this can be treated with the help of a simple surgery and chemotherapy or a more complicated route of treatments. Either ways, the one thing all patients enquire about is the life expectancy of a person after ovarian cancer. This life expectancy is dependent on different kind of factors, such as current age, family history, progress of treatment and type of cancer as well. Close to 15,000 women die each year in the USA alone due to ovarian cancer and many more die when in remission.

Statistics show that the age group of 65 years and above suffer the most when it comes a to deaths. Close to 25% of all patients in this age group have a life expectancy of little more than a month or two after diagnoses. Treatment can extend the time period to an extent, but usually not by much. Even those who go into remission suffer from external health problems and subsequently suffer from lowered expectancies. Very few women who cross the age of 80 get ovarian cancer and among those, the death rate declines by a large margin. However, at this point other health issues can become aggravated due to surgery and decrease any hopes of extending healthy periods for anything over half a year to eight months.

The age group of women under 20 years of age has a death rate of 0.1%. This increases to 0.8% for those in their early thirties. The life expectancy of those between 15 to 34 years of age is high only if cancer is detected at an early stage. Those with an advanced case of cancer are at risk. Other than that, these women are expected to live perfectly healthy lives with lower chances of cancer returning. The life expectancy takes a dip after the age of 35 to those women nearing the age of 45. The death rate increases to 3.1% with definitively lesser chances of battling advanced stages of cancer. However, with better medicine and technology, this can be combated and most women go on to live healthy lives but with a higher risk of recurring cancer.

After the age of 45, the death rate rises to an average of 15% because of the additional problems of other possible illnesses. Yet, with diligent treatment and commitment, one can expect the life expectancy to increase to somewhere near 20 years. This starts moving downward as women approach their 60’s, to somewhere near 5-8 years. If cancer is detected early enough with the help of transvaginal ultrasounds and measuring levels of CA 125 in the blood, life expectancy takes a huge leap. Since this is a difficult kind of cancer to spot with the help of regular tests and symptoms, most women come to treatment with advanced stages. Here, the life expectancy lowers itself to somewhere close to 2-5 years, depending upon the treatment.