Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Women, Take Heed

In these waning days of September, the month dedicated to ovarian cancer awareness, I would be remiss to not mention the signs and symptoms of this silent killer:

Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer
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.
The Gynecologic Cancer Foundation, the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists and the American Cancer Society, with significant support from the Alliance formed a consensus statement on ovarian cancer. The Ovarian Cancer National Alliance has endorsed the consensus statement, which was announced in June 2007. The statement follows.
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.
Please visit OCNA for more information.

Taken from www.tealtoes.org

2 comments:

  1. Good Evening Gail, I hope to find you well.Been thinking of you and your family alot lately. Keeping you all in my prayers. :)
    This is a very good post and one that all woman should be aware of. Thankyou for the information.
    I have to take mom to see her oncologist near the end of this month. She had 3d stage colon cancer in the early 2000's and had a fell recover and was declared cancer free after her surgery. They caught it just in time. She didn't need any further treatments.
    She does have a spot on her lung that they told us was getting bigger. She had a catscan done on her lungs and stomach this week. We will find out the results on the 26th of this month. Please remember her in your prayers.
    Thankyou Gail. Everytime I look at my little tree I think of you and Isabella. :)
    I do hope you were able to print the pic's out okay as I didn't size them so you could use what ever size you would like.
    So... are your Yankee's going to win again this year? :)
    Take care my friend.
    Love and Hugs
    Dianne :)

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  2. Gail, Good News!!! Mom had an appointment with her Family Dr. today and they had already got the results. 6 months later and the news it good. The spot on her lung has shrunk and now we will wait and see what the Oncologist thinks, but her family Dr. doesn't think it is cancer because it has shrunk.This is really an answer to prayer.
    6 Months ago the Dr. told mom it would be complicated even to attempt a biopsy because it was so close to her diaphram, so we opted to wait and see, and this is the result. Praise God. Mom was extremely happy and a wait has been lifted from her shoulders and mine also.

    Gail, can you copy the picture files to your computer, and them copy and paste unto a disc and take them to a photo place and have them print them to size for you.?

    Blessings and Hugs
    Dianne :)

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