Ovarian Cancer in Colorado
The Ovarian Cancer Data – Who it affects?
Incidence – A cancer incidence rate is the number of new cancers of a specific site/type occurring in a specified population during a year, usually expressed as the number of cancers per 100,000 population at risk. That is,
Incidence rate = (New cancers / Population) × 100,000
The numerator of the incidence rate is the number of new cancers; the denominator is the size of the population.
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Mortality – A cancer mortality rate is the number of deaths, with cancer as the underlying cause of death, occurring in a specified population during a year. Cancer mortality is usually expressed as the number of deaths due to cancer per 100,000 population. That is,
Mortality Rate = (Cancer Deaths / Population) × 100,000
The numerator of the mortality rate is the number of deaths; the denominator is the size of the population.
Family History Tool: My Family Health Portrait – https://familyhistory.hhs.gov
Find a Genetic Counselor: http://cocancergenetics.org/resources/counseling-services/
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Ovarian Cancer – The Symptoms
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Ovarian Cancer the Colorado Cancer Plan
3.1 Strategies
- Support efforts seeking to standardize family history data collection in electronic health records to allow providers to identify individuals whose family history meets the clinical criteria for a hereditary cancer syndrome and those who should be referred to a genetic counselor.
- Educate providers on guidelines for family history collection and referral for genetic counseling and testing, including potential BRCA1/2 mutations or Lynch Syndrome.
- Conduct demonstration projects that implement family history screening tools in primary or specialty care settings to identify patients at risk for hereditary cancer.
- Develop referral and communication systems to facilitate on-site or referred cancer risk assessment, genetic counseling, including tele-counseling, and testing services by a qualified genetics professional.
- Promote access to genetic counseling based on risk assessment prior to genetic testing to review potential risks and benefits, including post-test risk and benefits when prophylactic options are under consideration.
- Identify funding sources for genetic counseling and testing for at-risk individuals who are unable to pay.
- Promote appropriate insurance coverage, especially Medicaid coverage, of genetic counseling, testing and ensuing clinical services for high-risk individuals.
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5.3 Strategies
- Increase awareness of the symptoms of nonscreenable cancers among health care providers and individuals.
- Educate medical and health care students via structured programs about symptoms, risk factors, early detection, genetic counseling and genetic testing for non-screenable cancer types.
- Support research studies, including randomized control trials, to investigate new and innovative cancer screening tests.