Complications of ovarian cancer

There is a huge number of the most diverse complications that occur in ovarian cancer. The most common of these are:

1. Overgrowth of benign tumors.
2. Ascites.
3. Adhesive processes.
4. Twisting the legs of a cancerous tumor.
5. The rupture of the walls, which leads to corpulence.

Very often, complications of the ovarian tumor of the cyst-like form are distinguished by periadenixitis, adhesive peritonitis or perimetritis. Usually, they appear only when the cancer cells go outside the walls of the ovary. The process of twisting the leg on which the tumor "sits" is also a very frequent complication. It is detected in 10% of cases. This happens if the patient is too abruptly loses weight, rotates or moves the trunk, overflows the bladder or suffers from diarrhea.

[1], [2], [3], [4]

Ascites

Ascites in ovarian cancer is considered a very serious condition, which causes inflammation, necrosis and abscesses. The development of this process occurs when fluid in the abdominal cavity is poorly circulating. This symptom often appears with a tumor in the ovaries. To eliminate it you need to use special methods of treatment.

The fluid in ovarian cancer is usually formed due to the fact that the lymph nodes are affected. Sometimes the fluid goes out if there is a rupture of one or two ovaries. Usually ascites develops in the last stages.

Dyspnea with ovarian cancer occurs against the background of ascites, when the liquid enters the abdominal cavity and makes breathing difficult. Also, this symptom may indicate that the ovarian cancer is already at a stage where its metastases have reached the lungs.

If the amount of liquid is less than 200 ml, then it is rather difficult to see ascites. With a large amount of one or two sides of the abdomen, the swelling takes place. Also among the main symptoms of ascites are:

1. Swelling of the lower extremities.
2. Hard breath.
3. It's hard to tilt the body.
4. Painful sensations, in which you want to adopt the pose of the "embryo".
5. Oliguria.
6. Vomiting, nausea, diarrhea.

To treat ascites, you can:

1. With the help of conservative methods: drugs help to normalize the exchange of fluid in the body.
2. With the help of a minimally invasive operation.
3. With the help of standard surgical procedures.

[5], [6], [7]

Lymphostasis

Lymphostasis of the legs in patients with ovarian cancer is a common symptom. This is the so-called swelling of the lower extremities. It manifests itself when there is a disruption in the functioning of the lymphatic system. To remove puffiness, patients are prescribed:

1. Special massages.
2. Different methods of physiotherapy.
3. Conservative treatment.
4. A special diet without salt.

Swelling of the feet

Swelling of the feet is very often manifested after surgery in patients with ovarian cancer. This is because a large amount of lymph accumulates in the tissues. Most often, leg swelling after surgery appears if:

1. The cancer has spread to the lymph nodes.
2. Radiation therapy of lymph nodes in the inguinal region was also performed.

Edema occurs in this case either in a few days or a week after the operation.

Pleurisy

Metastatic or neoplastic pleurisy often occurs in advanced stages of ovarian cancer. This is due to the fact that a large amount of liquid is collected in the pleura. The treatment is that it is necessary to remove the fluid that has accumulated. For this purpose, special medications are prescribed.

Where does ovarian cancer metastasize?

First of all, it is necessary to know that ovarian metastases are usually spread by three ways:

1. Hematogenous.
2. Implantation.
3. Lymphatic.

Implantation, also called a contact, is the most frequent in the early stages of the disease. Metastases in this case pass into the abdominal cavity, as well as into other organs of the small pelvis. The transition is carried out by cancer cells that exit the tumor itself. Usually the first to suffer are those organs that are adjacent: fallopian tubes, uterus, urinary. Then the cells pass into the abdominal cavity. Also this way the cancer passes into such organs:

1. Ligament of the uterus.
2. Rectum.
3. Cecum.
4. Sigmoid colon.
5. Colon.
6. Cervix.
7. Vagina.
8. Liver.

After the implantation, the lymphatic path begins to develop. It differs in that tumor cells begin to enter the lymph nodes, which increases the chance of transferring them to other organs. The hematogenous path is different in that the blood flow carries cancer cells throughout the body. But this happens only in 5% of cases. Metastases can occur in the skin, bones, lungs, brain.

Metastases in the intestine

If ovarian cancer is metastatic in the intestine or if the tumor itself grows up to this area, then the patient exhibits the following symptoms:

1. Frequent disorders of the digestive system.
2. Tenesmus.
3. Frequent constipation.
4. Intestinal obstruction.

Metastases in the bone

In later stages of ovarian cancer, metastases can go to the bone or bone marrow. If this happens, the patient can see such symptoms:

1. Frequent fractures even from mild falls.
2. Fragility of bones from their thinning.
3. Neurological disorders.

Peripheral carcinomatosis

Peritoneal carcinomatosis in ovarian cancer is diagnosed if the metastases in the abdominal cavity reach a large number. In this case, they can be located in different places. This occurs when cancer cells are actively transferred through the blood or lymphatic vessels. The peritoneal carcinomatosis develops rather slowly. At the initial stages, a few cells of their tumor enter the cavity and begin to attach to its soft tissues. It is from them that later small tumors will appear. Gradually they merge, forming one large. Due to the fact that the area of the peritoneum is quite large (it covers all the organs that are there), the metastases can easily pass into these organs.

In the presence of a huge number of metastases in this area, the functioning of all organs is disrupted. Usually, carcinomatosis is accompanied by such symptoms:

1. Pain in the abdomen.
2. Rapid weight loss.
3. Vomiting and nausea.
4. Ascites.

Bowel obstruction

Intestinal obstruction in ovarian cancer is a fairly common symptom that occurs already in the late stages of the disease. At what is observed in some cases the so-called mechanical obstruction, when the intestine and its intestines are squeezed. Sometimes pseudo-obstruction may appear, which is different in that the circular wall of the intestine passes through infiltration. In the latter case, the peristaltic wave can not pass.

[8], [9], [10], [11], [12], [13]