(August 17, 2015) A study from the University of California, Davis found that one-third of women with ovarian cancer survive at least 10 years after diagnosis. The study, published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, linked high survival rates with younger ages, early stages, and tumor type but they also found many exceptions to the rule – many of the long term survivors (954 of 3,600) were older and part of the high risk population – leading the authors to believe that treatment has improved for multiple populations.
Longer survival rates, however, lead to new issues for survivors. “Looking back, I wish there was monitoring to check the mental and emotional impact of a cancer diagnosis,” says Susan Chinn, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2007. She stresses that although the physical hardships might be coming to end, the mental challenges can still be present, or even just beginning.
Woman to Woman is OCRF’s patient support program for patients and survivors of gynecologic cancers. Learn more or find a Woman to Woman program near you.
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