We often hear that we need to be in tune with our bodies and that if something feels wrong, it probably is. A woman in Italy had not felt like herself for quite some time and had put on a substantial amount of weight. When things werenât getting any better, she decided it was time to see a doctor.
The woman had pregnancy symptoms like weight gain, stomach pain, and a large belly. Doctors were pretty sure that wasnât the case because she was 62 years old. They ran a battery of tests, but everything came back normal. They determined that an exploratory surgery of the abdomen was necessary to find out what was happening.
When they opened her up, they were shocked. Doctors found the source of her symptoms, an 86-pound tumor growing on her ovary. The situation was frightening and dangerous, and doctors had a challenge on their hands.
It was a rare kind of tumor.
An article in the scientific journal JAMA Clinical Challenge detailed the womanâs case. The mass was a mucinous ovarian carcinoma.
It is a rare form of ovarian cancer that consists of fluid-filled cancer cells coated in mucus, Insider noted. This type of cancer is found in 2% to 3% of new ovarian cancer diagnoses. Doctors knew that it needed to be removed as soon as possible.
The tumor was gigantic.
Once removed, doctors determined the tumor weighed 86 pounds, roughly the size of four watermelons. Although risky, the surgery was a success.
The woman spent five days in the hospital recovering and was released. According to JAMA, the woman returned to her doctor for a six-month checkup, was symptom-free, and her blood work came back clean, with no signs of cancer.
MOC often develops in younger patients.
Healthline reports that the average age of a MOC patient is 45, and the leading risk factor for this type of cancer is smoking, unlike other ovarian cancers that many other factors can cause. MOC treatment depends on the cancerâs stage, but as in the Italian womanâs case, doctors often recommend surgery. Sometimes chemotherapy is used to treat MOC, but Healthline states that it is often not responsive to this therapy.
MOC caught in its early stages has a five-year survival rate of 90%, according to a study published in the medical journal Diagnostics. Unfortunately, when MOC is discovered in an advanced stage or is metastatic, life expectancy is 12 to 30 months.
Ovarian cancer is deadly.
Ovarian cancers cause more deaths than any other gynecological cancer, according to the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition. Doctors discover just 20% of ovarian cancers early. Most are late-stage or metastatic when they're diagnosed. According to the organization, ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths in women.
âAll women are at risk, but there are many factors that increase your chances of ovarian cancer. Learn about the risks, signs and symptoms, and how early detection is key,â NOCC reports.
