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Ovarian Cancer
September 28, 2007
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Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer among women.
In today’s health matters
we take a look at ways to decrease your risk of developing this hard to detect disease.
The facts about ovarian cancer can seem frightening. The cancer has vague symptoms
and preventative methods are virtually unknown. Right now there is no known universal
cause for the cancer.
Dr. Edward Grendys is an OBGYN for Lee Memorial Health System he says this cancer
has proved to be a very challenging one to deal with medically. “We’ve been in somewhat
difficult times in trying to predict who has the disease earlier. It is very common
for me to see women with very advanced ovarian cancer who have seen two or three
other physicians in the past.
Right now there is no constant and reliable test that can detect ovarian cancer
early. So screening for the disease can also be an issue.
Dr. Grendys says “Pap smears do not detect the disease early and at least to date
we have no other screening test to use. We are currently involved with our group
as well as multiple other groups around the country in looking at trying to find
new blood tests that will help detect ovarian cancer early.”
Some methods are proving to be helpful in lowering a woman’s risk of ovarian cancer.
Doctors say those things include breastfeeding, getting a hysterectomy or taking
birth control.
Ovarian cancer usually occurs in women over age 50 but it can also affect younger
women. The ability to successfully treat the cancer decreases drastically when not
caught early so be sure to see your physician regularly.
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