A medication (belonging to a class clinically known as PARP inhibitors) that is being used with good results in the treatment of women with advanced ovarian cancer, is also, according to recent studies, revealing to be “effective in earlier stages” – explained Mafalda Casa Nova , oncologist from Hospital Beatriz Ângelo , in the TV show “Edição da Manhã”, in SIC Notícias channel, on November 14. Ovarian cancer affects every year more 200 thousand women all over the world and the majority of cases already in an advanced stage, with a rate of survival lower than 50%. “It was recently verified in the annual meeting of the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) that this medication showed a reduction of relapse around 40%, which means that women can live longer without the disease or with the disease controlled and with no need of more aggressive treatments. It remains to establish the impact in terms of survival”, the specialist added. Mafalda Casa Nova also reminded the main symptoms of the disease to which women should be alert to and communicate promptly to their family physician: Intense abdominal pain Persistent alteration in the intestinal transit Abdominal volume enlargement Mafalda Casa Nova in SIC Notícias channel
