Is It Bloating or Ovarian Cancer?

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 12/17/09 11:59:11 AM Eastern Standard Time,

robert-blau@... writes:

> Is It Bloating or Ovarian Cancer? | Lifescript.com

>

>

http://www.lifescript.com/Health/Conditions/Cancer/Is_It_Bloating_or_Ovarian_Can\

cer.aspx

>

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here.

[Guest guest]

Conventional point of view, but interesting . . .

Is It Bloating or Ovarian Cancer?

Stealthy and often deadly, ovarian cancer is the bogey-man of women's

diseases. But modern science is helping women fight back. In this

Lifescript exclusive, we talk with ovarian cancer expert Ginger Gardner,

M.D., about the latest treatments, symptoms to look for and finding the

right doctor...

Is It Bloating or Ovarian Cancer? | Lifescript.com

http://www.lifescript.com/Health/Conditions/Cancer/Is_It_Bloating_or_Ovarian_Can\

cer.aspx

[Guest guest]

Posted by: " szukidavis@... " szukidavis@...   sheldavis

Thu Dec 17, 2009 10:35 am (PST)

In a message dated 12/17/09 11:59:11 AM Eastern Standard Time,

robert-blau@... writes:

> Is It Bloating or Ovarian Cancer? | Lifescript.com

>

>

http://www.lifescript.com/Health/Conditions/Cancer/Is_It_Bloating_or_Ovarian_Can\

cer.aspx

>

Is there any way to copy and paste? My computer crashes when I try to go

here.

I'll try to do that later today.

RB

[Guest guest]

http://www.lifescript.com/Health/Conditions/Cancer/Is_It_Bloating_or_Ovarian_Can\

cer.aspx

Is It Bloating or Ovarian Cancer?

By Winnie Yu, Special to Lifescript

Published December 17, 2009

Stealthy and often deadly, ovarian cancer is the bogey-man of

women’s diseases. But modern science is helping women fight

back. In this Lifescript exclusive, we talk with ovarian cancer expert

Ginger Gardner, M.D., about the latest treatments, symptoms to look for

and finding the right doctor…

With few symptoms to tip off women with the disease, ovarian cancer

claims about 15,000 lives a year. According to the American Cancer

Society, 21,550 new cases were diagnosed this year in the U.S.,

according to the American Cancer Society.

Ginger Gardner, M.D., a board-certified surgeon at Memorial

Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, has made conquering ovarian

cancer her life’s mission and has spent more than five years

researching and treating this silent killer. She talked with Lifescript

about this difficult-to-diagnose cancer:

What do we know about ovarian cancer that we didn’t know five

years ago?

We used to think that ovarian cancer symptoms were too vague to

identify. But recent data shows that it isn’t silent †"

there are symptoms. We just have to watch out for them.

Women with the disease may experience bloating, abdominal or pelvic

pain, difficulty eating and feeling full quickly. You may also notice

the need to urinate more urgently or frequently.

But don’t most women have some bloating a few days a month? And

who hasn’t experienced abdominal pain?

That’s true, but the key is whether the symptoms are new or

happening more frequently.

You’re looking for change. If it’s something

you’ve been feeling for 20 years, it’s probably not

going to be ovarian cancer. But when one of these symptoms is new,

occurs almost daily and lasts longer than 2-3 weeks, you need to see a

physician.

You shouldn’t just say, “Oh, I’m getting

older†or “It’s just something I ate.â€

Will most primary-care physicians really consider ovarian cancer when a

patient has those symptoms, especially if there’s no family

history of cancer?

Certainly the symptoms mimic other [problems], but talking about ovarian

cancer is the first step.

You should report changes in symptoms to your gynecologist. We have to

raise awareness among doctors too.

What should you do if your mom or sister had ovarian cancer?

Get a blood test to see if you have the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation.

Women who test positive have a 20%-40% chance of developing ovarian

cancer. That’s significantly higher than for women without the

gene, who have a 1.5% chance.

Because breast and ovarian cancer can be linked, women who had breast

cancer before age 40 or several family members with either breast or

ovarian cancer, should also get tested.

Women of Ashkenazi Jewish descent are at increased risk too and should

discuss genetic screening with their physician. For more on genetic

testing, click here.

Lastly, if you or a close family member have had uterine or colon cancer

before age 50, you should also get genetic testing.

What's the next step if you test positive for BRCA1 or BRCA2?

If you have a BRCA gene mutation, consider getting a CA-125 test and a

pelvic ultrasound regularly †" every six months. The CA-125 is a

blood test that screens for ovarian cancer.

It’s not accurate enough for [doctors] to recommend it for all

women, but it’s frequently used for those with a genetic

predisposition for ovarian cancer.

Should women with the gene mutation have their ovaries removed?

Definitely: The CA-125 test and pelvic ultrasound are unreliable. Once

childbearing is complete, removing the ovaries and fallopian tubes

almost eliminates the odds of getting ovarian cancer. You can reduce

your risk for ovarian cancer by up to 95%.The procedure is short and you

usually go home the same day.

Why the remaining 5% risk?

Women who remove their ovaries won’t get ovarian cancer, but

there’s still a slim chance they’ll get a cancer of the

fallopian tube or peritoneum, the lining of the abdomen.

That’s because those cancer cells develop from the same type of

cell that lines the ovaries' surface. But, generally, those cancers are

rare.

Other than genetics, what raises your risk for ovarian cancer?

Women who have more menstrual cycles †" those who get their periods

at a young age or don’t go into menopause until much later

†" are at greater risk. So are women who never have children.

The theory is that every time a woman ovulates, an egg is released from

the ovary's surface, which then has to repair itself. The more times

that has to happen, the [more likely] the repairing process can get

impaired and a problem can develop on the surface of the ovary.

Is that why the birth control pill is thought to prevent ovarian cancer?

Yes, taking the pill can reduce your risk by as much as 50%.

That’s a big benefit. The pill stops ovulation, so

you’re not releasing eggs and the ovary doesn’t have to

repair itself.

The longer you’re on the pill, the more benefit. The good news

is, even if you took the pill in your 20s or 30s, that protective

benefit will continue for many years. When you’re deciding on

birth control options, this is an important health benefit to consider.

But is the pill safe after age 35?

Yes, you would need to discuss this with your health care provider, but

many women can take the birth control pill after age 35 as long as they

don’t smoke and have no history of blood clots. When

is ovarian cancer most treatable?

There are four stages of ovarian cancer. In general, [women with] cancer

caught in the earlier stages have a better survival rate.

[but even complete remission doesn’t guarantee long-term

survival because] it’s hard to predict when the disease will

recur.

We continue to work to improve outcomes as new approaches and treatments

are developed.

How has treatment changed?

There are continual advances being made †" both in surgery and the

drugs we use to treat this disease. Specifically, we’ve gotten

much better at debulking surgery.

Surgery to remove ovarian cancer from the upper abdomen and the

diaphragm is now being done on a regular basis.

In some cases, we use a special procedure known as a thorascopy to make

sure the chest is clear of disease as well.

Cancer cells from the ovarian surface can float freely to the upper

abdomen where they can attach and grow. When ovarian cancer is in the

chest, which is rare, it means it has spread and is in the most advanced

stage.

If the large, bulky disease is removed, then the second part of

treatment, chemotherapy, is much more effective because it has to go

after fewer cells.

Several years ago, a study came out about IP chemo. What is that?

Intraperitoneal (or IP) chemotherapy is when a small temporary tube is

placed into the peritoneal cavity during [debulking] surgery, so we can

give chemotherapy directly into the abdomen where the cancer cells grow.

It makes chemo even more effective, allowing the drug to be concentrated

where you need it most.A 2006 study in The New England Journal of

Medicine found that, on average, women treated with IP chemo lived an

additional 16 months beyond those who didn’t get the treatment.

So while IP chemo has more side effects than traditional chemo, women

who have it live longer.

In women with a successful debulking surgery followed by IP chemo, we

are seeing tremendous improvements in survival.

Some cancers are now being treated with drugs that choke off the

tumor’s blood supply. Does that work for ovarian cancer?

That’s another exciting area of research: the use of biologics

or targeted therapeutics.

This treatment blocks a specific way in which tumor cells grow. When a

tumor is growing, it needs a steady supply of blood.

We now have drugs that choke off the tumor’s ability to recruit

more blood vessels to support its growth. These are known as VEGF

(vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors) and they’re

being used more frequently to treat ovarian cancer.

What’s good about these drugs is that they have fewer of

chemotherapy’s traditional side effects and they provide yet

another avenue to get rid of ovarian cancer cells.

Many other targeted therapeutics are in development and clinical trials

as well.

Even so, ovarian cancer is still very deadly, right?

Yes, ovarian cancer is a challenging disease.

For many years, we thought it produced no symptoms. But we now know that

many women with ovarian cancer do have symptoms. The fact the symptoms

may be vague or mimic other problems, however, often delays diagnosis.

What kind of doctor treats ovarian cancer?

Women diagnosed with ovarian cancer need a gynecologic oncologist. We

specialize in gynecologic cancers of the female reproductive tract,

including the uterus, ovary, cervix, vagina and vulva.

To find a specialist in your area or to learn more about these cancers,

I recommend the Women’s Cancer Network at www.wcn.org.

And check out this cancer treatment video.

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Also see:

http://www.blogher.com/bloating-or-ovarian-cancer-six-common-symptoms-uncommon-d\

isease

Posted by: " szukidavis@... "   szukidavis@...    

sheldavis

Thu Dec 17, 2009 10:35 am (PST)

In a message dated 12/17/09 11:59:11 AM Eastern Standard Time,

robert-blau@... writes:

> Is It Bloating or Ovarian Cancer? | Lifescript.com

>

>

http://www.lifescript.com/Health/Conditions/Cancer/Is_It_Bloating_or_Ovarian_Can\

cer.aspx

>

Is there any way to copy and paste? My computer crashes when I try to go

here.

I'll try to do that later today.

RB