Research Reveals the Role of Overall Health in Ovarian Cancer Prognosis

As researchers continue to explore the origins of cancer, specifically, ovarian cancer, they are beginning to understand better the role that overall health can play in an individual’s prognosis. 

When it comes to gynecological cancers, ovarian is one of the deadliest and most difficult forms to treat. Researchers estimate that in 2018, there will be 22,440 new cases of ovarian cancer, and out of those, 14,080 will be terminal. Ovarian cancer is difficult to treat because, in many cases, the cancerous cells actually develop a resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy drugs, which makes them all but impossible to destroy. Additionally, ovarian cancer is more difficult to identify than some of the other forms of cancer, so, when patients are diagnosed, it tends to be at a later stage. 

Ovarian cancer is considered to be one of the deadliest and most difficult forms of cancers in terms of diagnosis and treatment. Researchers are continuing to explore the origins of cancer, with special attention given to ovarian, and they are trying to understand in greater detail the role an individual’s overall health plays in the progress of the disease. One study is currently trying to reveal the relationship between ovarian cancer treatment and general health. In this study, the researchers reviewed data obtained from more than 200 patients who had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The overall health did play a role in the treatment of the cancer, and there is already existing data that talks about health and its significance with other kinds of cancer. Researchers made use of a measurement known as PNI, or prognostic nutritional index. The study looked at the patients’ PNI scores in relation to the success of their treatment. Also taken into account was the stage at which the individual was diagnosed with cancer so as to check the impact on their prognosis as well as their overall health. There are a host of factors considered in the study, including the PNI. The PNI score is calculated by multiplying the patient’s serum albumin level by ten, adding it to 0.0005, then multiplying that by the patient’s lymphocyte count. This calculation may sound a bit complicated, but the use of this data can help researchers to come up with more precise results. Apart from taking into consideration the PNI score, the team also looked at certain other factors that may have an influence on the patient’s prognosis, such as the median age of the patients. Participants were also categorized if they were platinum sensitive or resistant. Additionally, the patients were classified based on the severity of their cancer, which was mostly stage three in this case. It was observed that most of the individuals who had received treatment for ovarian cancer also had to undergo removal of certain kinds of tissues from the affected region as well as chemotherapy with the help of platinum-based drugs. Since the treatment method is relatively consistent, it is easier to track overall health in the prognosis of ovarian cancer patients. The study found that the lower a patient’s PNI was, the less likely that the treatment would be successful, and a higher PNI indicated greater chances of successful treatment. They also noted that ovarian cancer patients were malnourished, and this could be a contributing factor towards the occurrence of death in the individuals. Malnutrition has a negative effect on the tumor present in the body of the patient. It is also reflected in the PNI score of the individual, thus further illustrating the role played by PNI. So, it is important to maintain good health, irrespective of disease, or lack thereof.