Digital News Report – Doctor Oz had a show discussing ovarian cancer warning signs. He traveled to a mall in Texas to screen 500 women for ovarian cancer. In addition, two Gynecological oncologists were guests on ‘The Dr. Oz Show’ today.
Ovarian cancer is often difficult to diagnosis because, in the early stages, the symptoms can be vague. Either the woman does not have any pronounced symptoms until the cancer has advanced to the more deadly stages. According to a report on ovarian cancer published on the National Institutes of Health website, approximately 3 out of 4 survive 1 year after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
Dr. Barbara Goff Md. Director of Gynecologic Oncology from the University of Washington said that many women with ovarian cancer were misdiagnosed initially. There was a study of 1,700 ovarian cancer patients. Thirty percent of them in this study said they had received prescriptions for other conditions.
Carol Brown, M.D. Gynecologic Oncologist from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center explained that most women who are found to have ovarian cancer are often in the advanced stages. She said that if the ovarian cancer is found and treated in the early Stage 1, there is a 70 -90 percent survival rate.
Doctor Oz has prepared a checklist to bring to the doctor office. He has posted it on his doctoroz.com website and you can print it and email it to friends to get the word out.
Doctor Oz went over the checklist worksheet on his symptom checker for ovarian cancer. The First warning sign bloating that occurs every day and persists over two weeks.
Second symptom to watch for is abdominal pain. The pain is every day and stays for at least two – three weeks.
The third warning sign of ovarian cancer is difficulty eating or feeling full easily. Goff said that that transits time is slowed down in the digestive tract when there is ovarian cancer.
The fourth ovarian cancer warning to be alerted to is frequent urination. The doctors said that having to go often is usually a urinary tract infection. After seeing, a doctor to rule out a UTI, and is consistent for over two or three weeks the medical professional should look into other problems.
The fifth red flag for ovarian cancer is having a family history of cancer. If your family has a history of breast, ovarian, or colon cancer your risk for ovarian cancer increase. If you have had cancer in the past you are also at an increased risk for ovarian cancer.
Doctor Oz set up an ovarian screening at a mall in Texas were 500 women attended the event. During this segment of the show, Doctor Oz had the women at high risk undergo a transvaginal ultrasound to look at the size of the ovaries. One woman that attended the event was found to have an 5.2 cm cysts and that needed to be evaluated for ovarian cancer.
Back in the studio, Dr. Goff said that having a transvaginal ultrasound is very important because it can get close to the ovaries. Doctor Oz explained that a rectal / vaginal exam might be completed during a physical exam to see if the ovaries are enlarged. Dr. Brown said that there is also a CA 125 blood test to help see if there is cancer.
Later on in the show, a research scientist studies foods to determine if they could lower cancer risks. He said that eating Omega 3 fatty fish 2 – 3 times per week and ½ cup of endives preferably raw each week are helpful for cancer prevention. He said that eating around ½ cup of onions daily might reduce the risk of developing ovarian cancer by 73 percent.
By: Robert Williams