Protect Yourself!!!

September, which is ovarian cancer month, is almost over. We want to remind all of you about the symptoms of ovarian cancer. This is important for all people, not just women. We believe that if men are also aware of the signs and symptoms, they may encourage their loved-ones (wives, daughters, sisters, mothers, friends) to get tested when these symptoms are present – if anything, we would feel better if you could at least rule ovarian cancer out!

I also wanted to share a story about the importance of being armed with information and encouraging your doctors to be aware of the symptoms of this disease. Danielle has been working in the medical industry as a pharmacist for the past couple of years. While she was working at a hospital during her rotations, she heard some doctors talking about a patient while trying to figure out what was wrong with her. This woman had ALL the classic symptoms of ovarian cancer. Finally, Danielle poked her head into the conversation and suggested they give her a CA-125 test, which is a simple blood test, best used along with a vaginal ultrasound. Sure enough, this woman’s numbers were off the charts and she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Without Danielle’s input, they may have just sent this woman home! So, the moral of the story is that being educated saves lives.

This information below is from the Ovarian Cancer Alliance – the website is www.ovariancancer.org.

Even in its early stages ovarian cancer has symptoms. Research indicates that 95 percent of women with ovarian cancer had symptoms and 90 percent of women experienced symptoms with early-stage ovarian cancer. Symptoms vary from woman to woman and many times depend on the location of the tumor and its impact on the surrounding organs. Many of the symptoms mimic other conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome.

Historically ovarian cancer was called the “silent killer” because symptoms were not thought to develop until the chance of cure was poor. However, recent studies have shown this term is untrue and that the following symptoms are much more likely to occur in women with ovarian cancer than women in the general population. These symptoms include:

Bloating
Pelvic or abdominal pain
Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly
Urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency)
Women with ovarian cancer report that symptoms are persistent and represent a change from normal for their bodies. The frequency and/or number of such symptoms are key factors in the diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Several studies show that even early stage ovarian cancer can produce these symptoms.

Women who have these symptoms almost daily for more than a few weeks should see their doctor, preferably a gynecologist. Prompt medical evaluation may lead to detection at the earliest possible stage of the disease. Early stage diagnosis is associated with an improved prognosis.

Several other symptoms have been commonly reported by women with ovarian cancer. These symptoms include fatigue, indigestion, back pain, pain with intercourse, constipation and menstrual irregularities. However, these other symptoms are not as useful in identifying ovarian cancer because they are also found in equal frequency in women in the general population who do not have ovarian cancer.

Love,

Nicole