Still Trying to Quelch Ovarian Cancer

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RedGlitter
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Still Trying to Quelch Ovarian Cancer

Post by RedGlitter »

Symptom-list bid to cut ovarian cancer deaths



MORE women might survive ovarian cancer if they were on the lookout for a prescribed set of symptoms and told their doctor about any that lasted more than a few weeks.

Cancer experts in the United States will release new guidelines later this month, arguing there is strong evidence to debunk the view that most ovarian cancers can be detected only when it is too late. But several of their Australian peers said the symptoms, while known to be related to ovarian cancer, were too vague and would create unnecessary alarm if not promoted responsibly.

US doctors will ask women to monitor bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating, feeling full or a frequent and urgent need to urinate, and tell them to seek medical advice if any symptoms last longer than two weeks.

"If women were more pro-active at recognising these symptoms, we'd be better at making the diagnosis at an earlier stage," said Dr Thomas Herzog, director of gynaecologic oncology at the Columbia University Medical Centre.

"These are non-specific symptoms that many people have, but when the symptoms persist or worsen, you need to see a specialist."

A Victorian woman diagnosed with ovarian cancer has a 41 per cent chance of surviving five years, according to the most recent Cancer Council data. The chances decline significantly with age — nearly three-quarters of women diagnosed before the age of 45 survive, compared with 16 per cent of those diagnosed at 75 years or older.

The head of obstetrics and gynaecology at Monash University, Professor David Healy, said the key to improving survival rates was to develop a national screening program, beginning five years after a woman goes through menopause.

"That's the age when women typically get ovarian cancer," he said. "Just like we recommend that people come in every couple of years for a Pap smear, there's no reason why they couldn't have a good quality trans-vaginal ultrasound to look at a woman's ovaries."

The difficulty, he said, was that no scientist had yet described what abnormal ovaries looked like under high-powered ultrasound. Without such knowledge, it would be impossible to tell which women were at risk of developing tumours.

"Unlike cervical cancer, we have no idea of the natural history for ovarian cancer," he said.

"There's probably 100 different types of cancer of the ovary … doctors cannot predict or tell one from the other."

National Breast Cancer Centre director Dr Helen Zorbas said the US recommendations were sound, as long as they did not create unnecessary anxiety among women who "may experience these symptoms quite regularly".

She said women needed to have access to follow-up tests.

"We need to ensure that GPs actually have the right information and know how to investigate the symptoms."

Dr Zorbas said her centre would run a public information campaign next year to raise awareness of symptoms.



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kazalala
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Still Trying to Quelch Ovarian Cancer

Post by kazalala »

My mother in law has been fighting ovarian cancer for nearly four years now, she is now in the very late stages. Sadly in hindsight i have realised she did have some early symptons that were not picked up by doctors. If women were made more aware of the early symptoms, maybe she would have thought of asking the doctor to investigate further.




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Patsy Warnick
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Still Trying to Quelch Ovarian Cancer

Post by Patsy Warnick »

I had all the symptoms - I went to the Dr's and went to the Dr's.

I was given medication for irritable bowel syndrome - I didn't take the meds.

I was given medication for pain and kept going back to the Dr's.

I've been a medical mess ever since.

Patsy
Saffire
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Still Trying to Quelch Ovarian Cancer

Post by Saffire »

Isn't ovarian cancer the hardest to detect? because by the time you show symptons of this cancer, it has spread vastly and often, survival rate is pretty slim.

My family on my mothers side, my mother, my grandmother and my grandmother's sister all had cancer of the womb, which took the lives of my grandmother and her sister. My mother had to have a hysterectomy at the age of 35 and I am waiting the results of a biopsy and smear test taken last week due to abnormalities and pain, which I have not experienced before. I don't like playing the waiting game, but each day I wait for a telephone call to tell me if I am in the clear or not, meanwhile, I cannot plan my future (holidays) because I don't know if or what treatment would lie ahead if my results come back positive.

I have also been waiting for an MRI scan result to come back since May this year, I don't understand why it has to take so long, because in cases where cancer is detected and it is a fast growing cancer, the huge delay in recieving scan results is putting people at more risk.
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SuzyB
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Still Trying to Quelch Ovarian Cancer

Post by SuzyB »

Saffire;651940 wrote: Isn't ovarian cancer the hardest to detect? because by the time you show symptons of this cancer, it has spread vastly and often, survival rate is pretty slim.

My family on my mothers side, my mother, my grandmother and my grandmother's sister all had cancer of the womb, which took the lives of my grandmother and her sister. My mother had to have a hysterectomy at the age of 35 and I am waiting the results of a biopsy and smear test taken last week due to abnormalities and pain, which I have not experienced before. I don't like playing the waiting game, but each day I wait for a telephone call to tell me if I am in the clear or not, meanwhile, I cannot plan my future (holidays) because I don't know if or what treatment would lie ahead if my results come back positive.

I have also been waiting for an MRI scan result to come back since May this year, I don't understand why it has to take so long, because in cases where cancer is detected and it is a fast growing cancer, the huge delay in recieving scan results is putting people at more risk.




Hi, I would chase the MRI, but if it would have shown anything, they HAVE to see you within two weeks, I had one last Monday and they told me I HAD to make an appointment within 2 days, if anything sinister would of been on that MRI you would have seen someone by now.



I hope the biopsy results are clear. :)
I am nobody..nobody is perfect...therefore I must be Perfect!





Carl44
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Still Trying to Quelch Ovarian Cancer

Post by Carl44 »

SuzyB;652000 wrote: Hi, I would chase the MRI, but if it would have shown anything, they HAVE to see you within two weeks, I had one last Monday and they told me I HAD to make an appointment within 2 days, if anything sinister would of been on that MRI you would have seen someone by now.



I hope the biopsy results are clear. :)




i think you will be ok babe in reds post it says one of the symptoms is lack of appetite :wah: :wah:
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SuzyB
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Still Trying to Quelch Ovarian Cancer

Post by SuzyB »

jimbo;652010 wrote: i think you will be ok babe in reds post it says one of the symptoms is lack of appetite :wah: :wah:


That doesn't even justify an answer :p
I am nobody..nobody is perfect...therefore I must be Perfect!





Saffire
Posts: 15
Joined: Mon Jul 02, 2007 4:59 am

Still Trying to Quelch Ovarian Cancer

Post by Saffire »

SuzyB;652000 wrote: Hi, I would chase the MRI, but if it would have shown anything, they HAVE to see you within two weeks, I had one last Monday and they told me I HAD to make an appointment within 2 days, if anything sinister would of been on that MRI you would have seen someone by now.



I hope the biopsy results are clear. :)


Hi SuzyB

Thankou for your reply to me and also the reassurance, there's nothing worse than waiting for such results. I now know that my biopsy results will take longer, and I think that maybe the longer I am waiting for them to come through, the less likely of anything serious, otherwise like you mention, they'd have probably gotten back to me by now. Meanwhile I will continue to wait.

Thanks again :)
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