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Ovarian cancer.... not easy to diagnose
In the past several years I have had a few members of my family go through cancer “scares”. One of them had to have a hysterectomy and a mastectomy performed, plus go through a whole year of treatment. Needless to say, these kinds of situations are NOT easy to endure by any stretch of the imagination and their after effects are long lasting not only for the patient but also to their family.
Today, one of my family members had - yet again - to undergo another battery of tests. We are told that she will have to have them done periodically for the rest of her life. I was kind of surprised as to how it affected me. I knew about it, have been dealing with the situation for a while and yet I still could not help but feel panic when thinking about the possible results.
I then felt compelled to do something, anything that might be useful or of assistance; anything that would raise awareness and thus help me deal with the anxiety I was feeling. That’s when I decided to blog about the symptoms and what to look for. So here it goes:
Ovarian cancer is not easy to diagnose. Often its symptoms are misdiagnosed and confused by stomach or physiological problems.
The three major symptoms are:
• Bloating or increased abdominal size
• Pelvic or abdominal pain
• Eating difficulty or feeling full too quickly
These are all symptoms experienced by women from time to time but if experienced daily and last for several weeks then there may be reasons for concern.
Currently, there is a big push to find a reliable way to detect ovarian cancer. As of today, the only way to be sure is through surgery which is an invasive procedure. Meanwhile, CA125 testing or symptom index are used to identify women with a high risk. These women will – most likely – have to undergo a transvaginal ultrasound test to look for abnormal growths in their ovaries. When this test is used in women identified through CA125 testing or symptom index, it can help identify which ones are false-positives and who should have surgery.
Also, it is important to note that growths in the ovaries are not uncommon and that a transvaginal ultrasound test is not an appropriate test for ovarian cancer except in women with family histories or genetic backgrounds that put them at a high risk. Even with a specific pattern of symptoms, most women who have them do not necessarily have ovarian cancer.
The important thing is that if you are experiencing ANY of the symptoms you should get it checked out.
Hopefully, this blog will raise your awareness – even if just a bit. There is much more out there in terms of information and I encourage you to research it and become knowledgeable.
Here are a few sources you may want to check out:
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/home/index.asp
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/ovarian/
http://www.ovarian.org/
http://www.ovariancancer.org/
http://www.webmd.com/ovarian-cancer/default.htm
Today, one of my family members had - yet again - to undergo another battery of tests. We are told that she will have to have them done periodically for the rest of her life. I was kind of surprised as to how it affected me. I knew about it, have been dealing with the situation for a while and yet I still could not help but feel panic when thinking about the possible results.
I then felt compelled to do something, anything that might be useful or of assistance; anything that would raise awareness and thus help me deal with the anxiety I was feeling. That’s when I decided to blog about the symptoms and what to look for. So here it goes:
Ovarian cancer is not easy to diagnose. Often its symptoms are misdiagnosed and confused by stomach or physiological problems.
The three major symptoms are:
• Bloating or increased abdominal size
• Pelvic or abdominal pain
• Eating difficulty or feeling full too quickly
These are all symptoms experienced by women from time to time but if experienced daily and last for several weeks then there may be reasons for concern.
Currently, there is a big push to find a reliable way to detect ovarian cancer. As of today, the only way to be sure is through surgery which is an invasive procedure. Meanwhile, CA125 testing or symptom index are used to identify women with a high risk. These women will – most likely – have to undergo a transvaginal ultrasound test to look for abnormal growths in their ovaries. When this test is used in women identified through CA125 testing or symptom index, it can help identify which ones are false-positives and who should have surgery.
Also, it is important to note that growths in the ovaries are not uncommon and that a transvaginal ultrasound test is not an appropriate test for ovarian cancer except in women with family histories or genetic backgrounds that put them at a high risk. Even with a specific pattern of symptoms, most women who have them do not necessarily have ovarian cancer.
The important thing is that if you are experiencing ANY of the symptoms you should get it checked out.
Hopefully, this blog will raise your awareness – even if just a bit. There is much more out there in terms of information and I encourage you to research it and become knowledgeable.
Here are a few sources you may want to check out:
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/home/index.asp
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/ovarian/
http://www.ovarian.org/
http://www.ovariancancer.org/
http://www.webmd.com/ovarian-cancer/default.htm
Comment
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Comment by Kristine on July 2, 2008 at 4:41pm - Thanks for sharing - knowledge is powerful!
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