Ovarian cancer: An undertreated and understudied entity in sub Saharan Africa

Abstract

Ovarian cancer (OC) is currently the 7th most common malignancy globally and the most lethal gynecological cancer.[1] It has been estimated that, in the United States, one woman in 70 will develop ovarian cancer, and one woman in 100 will die of the disease.[2] Ovarian cancer rates vary between different countries and appear to be related to socioeconomic status and reproductive factors. It is the second most common gynaecological cancer in sub Saharan Africa. Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) constitutes about 85-90% of all ovarian malignancies.[1] In both developed and developing nations, the case fatality of ovarian cancer is very high for some reasons. The disease is associated with late presentation as there are no specific early symptoms to warn the patients and caregivers, there are no significant screening tests to predict patients who might develop the cancer and no matter how good the immediate outcomes following the current standard modalities of treatment which includes optimum debulking surgery and chemotherapy, recurrence is the rule rather than the exception in most cases.