Caring for a loved one diagnosed with ovarian cancer can be overwhelming, but understanding the risk factors, symptoms, and treatment options, including cancer care at home service, can make the journey more manageable.

This guide provides vital information about ovarian cancer, from its causes and symptoms to how you can support a loved one post-surgery with effective home care solutions. Empower yourself with the knowledge to ensure your loved one receives the compassionate care needed for a smoother recovery at home.

Ovarian Cancer Overview

When abnormal cells grow and form lumps or tumors on the ovaries, a person will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The ovaries are the two reproductive organs in women positioned on the outside of each side of the uterus. They are responsible for releasing eggs each month that could go on to become fertilized. The ovaries also secrete the hormones estrogen and progesterone.

When cancer develops in the ovaries, it can develop in one of three areas: the inside area that contains the eggs, the surface walls of the ovaries, or inside the hormone-producing cells of the ovaries.

What Puts a Woman at a Greater Risk for Developing Ovarian Cancer

Since only women have ovaries, only women can develop ovarian cancer. Certain risk factors can increase a woman’s chance of developing the disease.

• Older age. Most ovarian cancers are diagnosed in women after the age of 63 and after menopause is completed.
• Never having children. If your older loved one has never had children, her risk increases with age.
• If she took hormone therapy after menopause.
• If she is obese. Obesity increases the risk of many cancers and could increase the risk of developing ovarian cancer as well, especially if combined with other risk factors.
• If she menstruated early or had a late menopause.
• A family history of ovarian or breast cancer.

Two factors reduce the risk of ovarian cancer. At this point, neither can be changed for your loved one, but know that if she had a full-term pregnancy before the age of 26 and/or breastfed her child(ren), she has reduced her risk of ovarian cancer.

Many forms of birth control, such as birth control pills, tubal ligation, and IUDs, have also been shown to slightly reduce the risk of ovarian cancer.

Ovarian Cancer Symptoms

Ovarian cancer can be difficult to detect in its early stages because there aren’t a lot of early symptoms, and many of the symptoms are often considered to be caused by something else by the individual. If your loved one has any of these symptoms and has had them consistently for some time, she should get examined to determine the cause.

• A bloated stomach
• Abnormal vaginal discharge or bleeding after menopause
• Getting full very quickly once she starts eating
• Urinary and bowel habits change
• Pain in the pelvic area or lower back

Providing Cancer Care at Home After Surgery

Most women with ovarian cancer will receive some type of surgery to remove the cancer. Your loved one may have her fallopian tubes or ovaries removed. She may also have a hysterectomy if she hadn’t had one already performed when she was younger.

There could also be a need to remove lymph nodes in the abdomen and pelvis, as well as the fatty tissue around the intestines if cancer has spread. Surgery will require planning for a lengthy recovery in which your loved one may not be able to perform some daily functions on her own.

One way to help your loved one heal quickly is to be prepared for this recovery time by having a professional ready to step in and provide help while your loved one receives cancer care at home. A home care provider can assist with daily chores, meal preparation, and even driving to help your loved one manage her cancer care at home without having to worry about taking care of home details at the same time.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Cancer Care at Home in Daly City, CA, contact the friendly staff at Home Care Professionals today.

Call (866)-940-4855

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andy@hcprosonline.com

CEO at HomeCare Professionals

Andy Howardis a Bay Area Native who holds a BA in Political Science (University of Colorado at Boulder, ’97). After college Andy worked in the surging tech industry.His Grandmother however, would suffer a significant decline in health and ultimately needed in-home care. The experience of a loved one depending on outside help to age in place proved to be pivotal for Andy as he left the tech industry in 2002 for an opportunity in the home care world with a large provider. After having success in home care, but being frustrated by corporate constraints Andy founded HomeCare Professionals in 2005.He methodically built the company one client at a time by focusing on hiring quality caregivers to ensure positive outcomes. Currently Andy serves as the CEO of HomeCare Professionals and is also highly active in the non-profit organization California Association of Health Services at Home (CAHSAH) which advocates for a higher standard of in-home care for those who wish to remain living at home in California.

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