toVera Martinella
Balti underwent a mastectomy in 2022. Ovarian cancer is one of the most difficult diseases to treat and is usually treated surgically after several rounds of chemotherapy.
In December 2022, it was subjected to bilateral mastectomyOr remove both breasts, As a precaution to avoid the risk of cancer that she is more exposed to as a carrier of the BRCA mutation. Now top model Bianca Balti She announced that she had undergone surgery for ovarian cancer. It was already detected in the third stage.
In fact, the model, now 40, has expressed her intention to have her ovaries removed in 2022, precisely because she was aware of the risks it would put her life at risk. A BRCA mutation that makes you more likely to develop breast, ovarian, prostate, and pancreatic cancer.
Stage III Cancer
“A diagnosis of stage III ovarian cancer means that the tumor affects one or both ovaries, and that it may have extended beyond the borders of the pelvis, with peritoneal metastases,” he explains. Saverio Ceneri, President of Aiom (Italian Society of Oncology) -. Ovarian tumors tend to grow gradually and infiltrate the peritoneum, the “lining membrane” that surrounds and encloses the abdomen, pelvis, and the various organs they contain (liver, spleen, stomach, small intestine, appendix, colon, rectum, and uterus). The ovaries, rare)».
The treatment in this case aims to remove the entire tumor mass. Surgery (which involves removing the tubes, ovaries and possibly other tissues already affected by the tumor) is very delicate and difficult and is often followed (sometimes preceded) by courses of chemotherapy.
hard tumor
Still considered today One of the most difficult tumors to treatOvarian cancer strikes almost every year in Italy. 5,200 women The reason Three thousand deathsDiagnosis is delayed in 70% of cases, although the disease does not cause specific symptoms in the early stages. It can affect any age, with an increased incidence after menopause. Between 50 and 69 years oldHowever, it tends to appear earlier than Carriers of mutations in the BRCA 1 and 2 genesWhich represents about 25% of cases when the tumor is detected in the initial stage (i.e. when it is confined to the ovaries). The five-year survival chance is 75-90%.But if the tumor has already spread to other organs and there are metastases, the situation is more complicated. Unfortunately, even today many women are diagnosed late, because the disease does not show clear signs of its presence at first.“That’s why it’s important not to ignore potential alarm bells, even if they are unfortunately very subtle,” he explains. Domenica Lorusso, Professor of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Humanitas University and Head of the Gynecological Oncology Program at Humanitas San Pio X in Milan. Non-specific symptoms, which make timely diagnosis difficult, are: Feeling full even on an empty stomach. Constant swelling in the abdomen. Abdominal pain.; Frequent need to urinate. Vaginal bleeding. Persistent constipation or diarrhea.”
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BRCA mutations and increased cancer risk
Mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes can be passed on to children, and tumors tend to appear earlier in carriers of the mutations. How high is the risk? Women who carry a genetic mutation that affects BRCA1 gene They have around 60% chance (vs. 10% of the general population) to develop a breast cancer About 40% (compared to 1-2% of the general population) will develop ovarian cancer during their lifetime – answers Seneri -. In the case of the BRCA2 gene mutation, the percentages are similar for breast cancer and lower for ovarian cancer (about 20%). There are very specific criteria to send potential “healthy carriers” to oncological genetic counseling (which in Italy is offered free of charge to those who are entitled to it)
What changes for those with the mutation?
Objection A “Health Carrier” (Anyone who tests BRCA positive, but does not have cancer) is allowed to offer you two Prevention strategies: The first, a “close” surveillance program with some diagnostic tests that will be performed up to every six months, different from the screening tests that the general population undergoes and which in some cases (for example in breast cancer) allows to identify the possibility of the tumor appearing at a very early stage, which could significantly change the prognosis of the disease. The other way is to offer Preventive breast surgery (mastectomy) Tubal and ovary resection (appendectomy), That is, removing those organs where the tumors are likely to originate. “Surgical options require a multidisciplinary approach that is possible in many treatment centers in Italy (such as breast units and specialized centers for ovarian surgery),” he says. Alberta Ferrari, Coordinator of the Scientific Technical Committee of the aBRCAdabra Society, the first society created for carriers of BRCA and recurring gene mutationsParticipant in the Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Track at IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo University of Pavia —. It is natural that a woman’s decision takes into account her life choices, personal and family plans, desire for motherhood, consequences of early menopause, aesthetic aspects, and of course psychological. The concerned party must have all the correct information in order to be able to do so. To freely choose when and whether to have surgery to reduce risks.Knowing that it is currently the only strategy capable of significantly reducing the risk of developing a tumor in these two organs, especially in the ovary, where there is still no early diagnosis option to focus on.”
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Preventive removal of tubes and ovaries
«In women carrying mutations in the BRCA 1-2 genes, a salpingo-oophorectomy (i.e. removal of the tubes and ovaries) is recommended at around the age of forty – concludes Lorusso -: they have an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer and ultrasound monitoring. In terms of prognosis has given disappointing results. Furthermore, the mortality rate of ovarian cancer is also high because it does not cause symptoms in the initial stage and is detected in the majority of cases at an advanced stage. The effects of preventive surgery are a reduced risk of developing ovarian cancer (80-96%) on the one hand and the immediate onset of menopause and subsequent disorders on the other.
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