Veteran actor and a well known Delhi socialite Nafisa Ali has revealed that she is battling Ovarian and Peritoneal cancer and she at ‘Stage 3.’
In a post on Instagram, the actor posted about her battle along with a picture with Congress President Sonia Gandhi, an old friend. "Just met my precious friend who wished me luck and to get well from my just diagnosed stage 3 cancer," wrote the actor.
In a subsequent post, she thanked her daughters and son along with her husband Colonel R S Sodhi for their strength.
Earlier, Actor Manisha Koirala had successfully battled ovarian cancer. In an interview she’d said:
After being diagnosed with cancer, one is in a lot of fear and anxiety about the anticipated pain and the painful treatment. Cancer is something that doctors take years to study and understand. So we should let the doctors do their work.
As per a study published in the Indian Journal of Cancer, ovarian cancer is the third leading cause of cancer in women in India. The study observed a survival rate of only 45 percent over five years among women who were diagnosed. This was primarily due to delayed diagnosis.
Usually, most women are diagnosed in the advanced stages (3rd or 4th) of the disease, according to a Times of India report.
But what is ovarian cancer and why does it get detected only in the advanced stages?
What is Ovarian Cancer?
Stemming in the ovaries of the female reproductive system, this kind of cancer is asymptomatic in its early stages. It is often diagnosed only after it has spread within the stomach or the pelvic region.
As a result, it is usually difficult to treat, and might be fatal in some cases.
Though this disease can develop at any age, it mostly affects women between 50 to 60 years of age.
Signs & Symptoms
Ovarian cancer rarely shows any symptoms in its early stages. Even in its advanced stages, the symptoms might be too few and non-specific. This is the reason why many women usually reject some of them as benign.
According to Mayo Clinic, the signs might include:
- Abdominal pain and bloating
- Weight loss, fatigue, back pain
- Feeling the need to urinate frequently
- Upset stomach
- Constipation
Women are often advised to consult a doctor if any of these symptoms persist daily for more than two-three weeks.
Treatment
Doctors are unsure what causes this disease, but women who have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer might be more prone to it. Such women may opt to get themselves tested to detect any gene mutations which might increase their risk of the cancer.
Once diagnosed, surgery and chemotherapy are the suggested treatment options.
New Research
A new study published in the journal Nature Communications states that scientists have discovered a ‘previously unknown cellular pathway that selectively regulates a mutant protein linked to ovarian cancer growth’.
They also identified a significant regulator of this pathway, and believe that drugs pointed at this regulator might help control the growth of cancerous cells in the future.
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