Ovarian Cancer Survival: The Importance Of Early Detection

Buried in the basin, the ovaries are difficult to examine. Thus, cancers affecting them are often discovered late. If improvements are to provide treatment, the prognosis remains closely linked to early care.

Ovarian cancer is the fifth largest female cancers in US, with 4,000 new cases per year. But his prognosis remains very bleak as it is often discovered at a late stage. Panorama from an unknown disease.

Ovarian cancer is relatively uncommon. All too often discovered at a late stage, this cancer is difficult to treat. As it is detected late, ovarian cancer has a fairly bleak prognosis. Each year, 3,800 Americans die from that cancer. The survival rate of ovarian cancer is just over 30% in 5 years, while for breast cancer, it is about 75%.

Few women are genetically predisposed to ovarian cancer. Genetic factors were responsible for 5 to 10% of cancers of the ovary. Between 160 and 320 women are suffering from a hereditary cancer of the ovary annually. Family mutations of certain genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2 rarely, are known to predispose strongly to this cancer, with an earlier age (before age 50). Alteration of these genes is also responsible for predisposition to breast cancer.

Without benefiting from screening test, ovarian cancer has long been nicknamed the silent killer because symptoms are supposed to appear at an advanced stage of the disease. But the results of a recent study could detect that kind of cancer more quickly.

Early detection is an incredible challenge: 70 to 90% of women with ovarian cancer detected at a primary stage are still alive five years after diagnosis against only 20 to 30% of those whose cancer was diagnosed at an advanced stage. And unfortunately, the second scenario is more often met … Some figures show awareness of this scourge, female: 4,488 new cases and 3,508 deaths directly linked to the disease in the year 2006

Characteristic symptoms: Beware of the trio!

Researchers have followed 1,408 women who were asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire about symptoms experienced with the previous year. Among the proposed events can include pelvic pain, abdominal, low back pain, the urge to urinate, constipation, weight loss, unexplained, and so on. The severity, duration and frequency of these signs were also informed. The same procedure was conducted on 128 women awaiting surgery for pelvic tumors, including ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer is no longer the silent undetectable killer . Even women with cancer at preliminary stages have signs. Paying attention to certain symptoms (or rather their frequency or severity), it may be possible to react in time!

The diagnosis of ovarian cancer is based on clinical examination, gynecological and a determination of tumor marker, supplemented by medical imaging examinations, including pelvic ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging. But only the surgical exploration allows a complete diagnosis of the local extension of ovarian cancer.

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1 comment October 10th, 2009

Women’s Health: 5 Things You Can Do to Prevent Cancer

Cancer is something that a lot of people worry about getting. If cancer is found at an early stage, then it can be taken care of. However, cancer can spread around the body, and thus, the best way to get rid of cancer is to not get it. Today we are going to talk about the five things that you should do that can help you avoid getting cancer all together. These things can help keep you safe and help keep you healthy for a long time to come.

First of all, to avoid getting cancer, you need to avoid using any kind of tobacco product. As we all already know, tobacco can cause a lot of health problems, one of which is cancer. You need to do your part in avoiding tobacco to help avoid the chance that you will ever get cancer. This is one of the most important things that you can do to avoid getting cancer. Although it may sound like it’s just a small step in preventing cancer, it is actually one of the biggest. Remember that any kind of tobacco can put you on the course to getting cancer.

The next big way to avoid getting cancer is to watch what you eat. There are certain things that you can do that the American Cancer Society recommends to help keep from getting cancer. First, make sure that you eat five or more servings of fruits or vegetables each day. Things that are whole grain are always best for you and can really help you avoid getting cancer. You can also try eating beans, which are said to help avoid cancer as well.

Try to limit the amount of fat that you take in. When you eat meat, try eating learner meat. This can help you avoid getting cancer in your colon, stomach and other places. Last, try to only drink alcohol in moderation. They say that a little bit of alcohol can actually help you in some ways. However, drinking too much can actually cause problems down the road.

Next, you have to shoot for maintaining a healthy weight. This can be done by exercising regularly and, of course, not overeating. Try to mix up your diet, because eating a lot of meat and nothing else can increase your risk of getting cancer. It is very important that you eat your meat (because the body needs it), but also eat other things that can help keep your system clean.

Last, but not least, is skin cancer. Another way to avoid getting cancer is to avoid getting skin cancer. You can do this by protecting your skin from the sun. The sun is the number one cause of skin cancer in the world, but not the only one. You also need to avoid repeat exposure to x-rays and, of course, certain chemicals that can cause skin cancer as well. Following these steps can really help you to avoid getting cancer, and that is what this whole talk was about, helping you to keep your body safe from cancer.

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1 comment October 8th, 2009

Should You Have a Mastectomy to Prevent Breast Cancer?

Modern women always have a fear of breast cancer. Whilst average woman has around 12% risk of getting affected with breast cancer, others have 85% chance of getting their life troubled with this menace. For women with high risk of breast cancer, fear is very much real, and most of them look to ways for lowering its risk.

An option, which some high-risk women considers for treating breast cancer, is prophylactic or preventive mastectomy. You may consider it, if you:

1-Are having cancers in one of your breasts and looking forward to remove the healthy breast for avoiding it to get affected too.

2-Are at high risk of breast cancer and looking forward to remove both breasts before it develops to advance and untreatable stage.

Mastectomy is a surgical procedure done for removing nearly all the tissues of your breast, where cancer may grow. This is, in no mean, a guarantee that you will not have breast cancer, as it’s impossible for taking out every bit of the tissue. However, experts have estimated that mastectomy can reduce the risk by almost 90%.

Some women find losing their breast for reducing risks of cancer to be beneficial. However, their choice cannot be clear cut. Various factors, which include women’s personal risk and their own feelings on the same, can affect the application of Mastectomy on their breasts.

Who Can Opt For Preventive Mastectomy?

You should opt for preventive mastectomy, if you know that you’re at high risk of breast cancer. You might be at high risks if:

1-You are sure that you have BRCA (breast cancer) gene change. You can find about BRCA by having a gene testing. Gene testing is generally done on women having a history of ovarian or/and breast cancer in their family.

2-You are having a history of breast cancers in your family. If any (or more than one) of your close family member (mother or sister) had breast cancer before, you are said to have a strong history. Risks are also considered high, if you are having both ovarian and breast cancer on any side of your family.

3-You are already having cancers in your breast. This means that there is a possibility of getting it on the other breast.

4-You have already been diagnosed with LCIS (Lobular Carcinoma in Situ). LCIS means that you are having abnormal cells in lobules (milk glands) of your breast. Experts classify it to be a pre-cancer or stage ‘0’ cancer. It might be increasing your risks of breast cancer. However, figures suggest that most women, who have been diagnosed with LCIS, do not get breast cancer.

5-Your chest has been exposed to radiation therapy before you were 30.

How Can I Make A Decision On Preventive Mastectomy?

Decision for having mastectomy to prevent cancer is a very personal one. To make the decision easy and right, it might help if you:

1-Consult your doctor or genetic counselors for getting a better idea of the risk involved.

2-Give consideration to your feelings. Some of us cannot imagine the thought of giving up our breasts, whereas others feel greater peace of mind covers up the loss.

3-Discuss this decision with the one, who are close to you. Suggestions from them can go a long way in helping you to decide.

However, you should always remember that it’s your body and it will always be your decision.

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Add comment October 6th, 2009