November 2000 Healing News

ADHD Overdiagnosis in schools

Anti-psychotic drugs may cause blood clots

Conflicts of interest in drug approvals

Full Spectrum light builds energy and health

Herbal remedy for cancer

HIV drug scandal

Hormone replacement therapy can be harmful

How to be medication smart

Women and doctors missing signs of ovarian cancer

Peace prayer for the Middle East

Raffle for vacations to help Wendy

Red Raspberry and cerival cancer

San Joanquin Psychotherapy Center

Shopping discounts

Women, Doctors Miss Signs of Ovarian Cancer

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Ovarian cancer remains one of the deadliest cancers to strike women, largely because it is often not caught until the later stages. But new study findings show that contrary to what many doctors have been taught, women with ovarian cancer often have tell-tale symptoms when the disease is still highly curable.

In a study of 1,725 US and Canadian women with ovarian cancer, investigators found that nearly all had symptoms before they were diagnosed with the disease.

Most had abdominal symptoms such as bloating and pain, while many others had gastrointestinal problems, pelvic pain, abnormal bleeding or other signs of ovarian cancer. Yet because these problems can
signal a number of health conditions, many women and their doctors did not recognize them as a cancer warning.

Researchers led by Dr. Barbara A. Goff of the University of Washington in Seattle report their findings in the November 15th
issue of Cancer.

When ovarian cancer is caught early, the survival rate is high--up to 90%. But only about one quarter of women have their cancer detected before it has spread outside the ovaries. Once ovarian cancer hits an advanced stage, survival rates drop to 20% to 30%, according to Goff and her colleagues. One reason for the low rate of early detection is the vagueness of the disease's symptoms.

But ignoring symptoms such as chronic abdominal and pelvic pain can come with a price. Goff's team found that women who initially ignored their symptoms were significantly more likely than others to be
diagnosed at a later stage of ovarian cancer. About half of the women endured symptoms for more than 3 months before seeing a doctor.

And many doctors were slow to make the right diagnosis. Only 20% of the women were told they might have ovarian cancer at their first doctor visit. The rest were diagnosed with conditions ranging from
irritable bowel syndrome to depression. Some were told nothing was wrong. Twenty-one percent of the women blamed their doctors' ``attitude'' for their delayed diagnosis.

``The results of our study suggest that we may be able to reduce delays in diagnosis by better educating both patients and healthcare providers about the symptoms of ovarian (cancer),'' Goff and colleagues write.

The authors add that while most women with abdominal or pelvic problems will not have ovarian cancer, doctors should perform pelvic exams to rule it out before ``labeling'' women with another condition.

SOURCE: Cancer 2000;89:2068-2075.