Specific challenges posed by rare cancers:

• Late or incorrect diagnosis
• Lack of access to appropriate therapies and expertise
• Lack of commercial feasibility in developing new therapies
• Difficulties in conducting well-powered clinical studies
• Limited number of tissue biobanks.
• Difficulties for the patient in finding answers to their questions, and a sense of loneliness when facing a rare disease
• In hereditary cases, patients and their caregivers may feel helplessness, guilt, and distress in response to new diagnoses within the family
• Hereditary cases may affect pediatric patients more frequently than sporadic cases

Specific Challenges posed by ovarian cancers.

• Ovarian cancers often remain undetectable until they reach advanced stages
• Ovarian tumors often require surgery of both ovaries, what has severe hormonal consequences for the patient
• Ovarian cancers can affect children and adolescents.
• Some subtypes of ovarian cancer can relapse many years after initial diagnosis, thus, patients are under surveillance for a long time.

Specific challenges posed by Small Cell Carcinoma of the Ovary, Hypercalcemic Type:

Small Cell Carcinoma of the Ovary, Hypercalcemic Type presents all the challenges of a rare cancer. Additionally, we can also enumerate specific challenges/difficulties:

• SCCOHT primarily affects young women, and due to their age, the symptoms they experience are frequently mistaken for other conditions.
• The hypercalcemic variant of small cell carcinoma elevates blood calcium levels. High calcium level can be life-threatening.
• SCCOHT is a cancer with very rapid progression.

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