Why No Uproar Over Change in Guidelines for Ovarian Cancer Screenings?

A panel of medical experts called the United States Preventative Services Taskforce concluded in September that screening tests for ovarian cancer do more harm than good. As a result, insurers will not be required by law to pay for those tests.

Very few people argued about this.

Why?

1. Ovarian cancer is often rapidly fatal. This results in the lack of a crowd of survivors who will lobby for more aggressive screening. When people live for many years after diagnosis, it is hard to conduct large trials in order to find a survival benefit to screening or early treatment. In case of ovarian cancer, an effective screening test – if it saved lives – would be relatively easy to establish. The lack of a good screening test is not just the result of underpowered clinical trials. There is no true screening test that works, and there aren’t a lot of survivors who are convinced that the screening test saved their lives and who are willing or able to lobby.
2. Ovarian cancer screening has never been routine and has no public service announcement to prompt women to get tested. When people are used to getting something, such as a yearly mammogram, they also resist efforts to have it taken away.

Read the full article here.

Trust your body for early detection

Women must be trust their body’s signals to catch ovarian cancer early. The majority of ovarian tumors are benign and not cancerous, like cysts. Malignant tumors are more common in older or post-menopausal women, but it is crucial for women of all ages to be aware of bodily changes and compare them to a list of possible symptoms. Ovarian cancer is known as a silent killer for a reason and is incredibly difficult to diagnose because excuses can be made for most of the symptoms. Yet the signature sign of ovarian cancer is “persistent, frequent and novel” symptoms instead of the occasional occurrence.

The majority of cases actually have symptoms about 12 months before official diagnosis. Ovarian cancer sufferers live with persistent, frequent symptoms that are new to them. The symptoms will probably include:

• pain in the stomach and or pelvis
• on-going bloatedness
• reduced appetite because of feeling full quickly.

Less common but possible symptoms include:

• abnormal lethargy
• back pain
• urgent need to urinate
• changes in bowel movement patterns

Symptoms can arise from any number of reasons and doctors are mostly unwilling to perform unnecessary tests. However, family history is still a strong risk factor that doctors will pay attention to.

The earlier the detection, the better the chance of survival. Survival rates can be as high as seven out of 10 for those who are diagnosed early.

“If you are seeing those symptoms at least once a month prompt your doctor to do a CA125 blood test and transvaginal ultrasound. Current guidelines do not recommend screening for women at average risk. Why? Because, unfortunately, both the CA125 blood test and transvaginal ultrasound screening methods are quite poor especially when used alone for early detection.”

Read the full article here.

Helen Milliken dies from ovarian cancer at 89

Helen Milliken, 89, passed away this morning from ovarian cancer. She was the wife of former Michigan Gov. William Milliken. She was known as “dignified, styling, deferential to her husband… outspoken, passionate, and unyielding.” She was receiving hospice care in Traverse City where she lived in retirement.

She was born in Colorado in 1922 and is best remembered as Michigan’s leading proponent of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). On one occasion, instead of joining the 1980 Republican National Convention in Detroit, she attended a protect march outside the convention in order to decry the decision to remove pro-ERA language from the GOP’s platform. Her activism on women’s issues was partially influenced by her daughter, whose concerns about equal treatment and opportunity for women grew throughout college and law school.

She was also a leading advocate for the arts and environment. She was the founder and longtime president of Artrain, which promoted public support for the arts.

Milliken is survived by her husband and son. Her daughter died of cancer in 1993.

Read the full article here.

Facts about ovarian cancer in an interview

A doctor from Pennsylvania State University’s Milton S. Hershey Medical Center recently shared information about ovarian cancer in an interview for the Medical Minute. Dr. Joshua Kesterson is a gynecologic oncology specialist.

Read the full interview here: http://med.psu.edu/web/academicplacements/home/news/-/newsevents/News/10100/3007852

Why is it so important to talk about … ovarian cancer? 

Kesterson: Ovarian cancer affects a significant number of women. In the United States, there are about 20,000 cases of ovarian cancer per year and about 15,000 deaths per year. Ovarian cancer affects one out of every 70 women and is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy. 

Who is at highest risk for developing [this] cancer? 

Kesterson: While most cases of ovarian cancer are sporadic, women with a family history or carriers of the BRCA mutation – a mutation that affects cells in the ovary – are at increased risk for ovarian cancer. 

Are there any tests to screen for … ovarian cancer? 

Kesterson: Unfortunately, there aren’t any effective screenings for ovarian cancer. There are efforts looking into imaging with ultrasound or serologic markers, but those are not sensitive or specific enough to be applicable to the general population. 

What are your patients’ biggest concerns following their diagnosis? 

Kesterson: Anytime someone is diagnosed with cancer, they want to know directly or indirectly how long they can expect to live. For women with ovarian cancer, the first line treatment is surgery to remove the entire tumor, followed by chemotherapy, which works well to achieve remission. I tell my patients that there are two things we can control: the type of surgery and the chemotherapy regimen. We want to get the best treatment options for our patients. 

Are there any efforts to advocate for … ovarian cancer awareness and research for a cure? 

Kesterson: Ovarian cancer is starting to gain more public attention in the media and advocacy groups. We are seeing more runs and walks to support the cause. Groups supporting research include the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation, the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists, and the Gynecologic Oncology Group.

Even though cancer is scary, it is important to arm yourself with information about the disease after diagnosis. Although … ovarian cancer may not get the media attention that other cancers do, your doctor can guide you and your family through your diagnosis and treatment and connect you with support groups.

The Medical Minute is a weekly health news feature brought to you by Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Articles feature the expertise of Penn State Hershey faculty physicians and staff, and are designed to offer timely, relevant health information of interest to a broad audience.

The consequences of the lack of awareness

There are so many stories that illustrate why it’s imperative to pay attention to our bodies and to detect abnormalities early. Sometimes symptoms of abnormalities can be overshadowed by excuses. Bloating, stabbing pains, frequent urination. Is the woman on her period, is she experiencing symptoms of diabetes, or is it ovarian cancer?

This is one anonymous girl’s story about her drive to promote early detection, and why. On Empowher.com, she wrote:

“Stomach bloating could possibly be symptoms of ovarian cancer... in such cases, bloating is the result of ascites (excess fluid in the peritoneal cavity) induced by the spreading of millions of ovarian cancer cells that have developed past its early stages. For months, my mother unknowingly carried around with 5 liters of this fluid... lumbering into hospitals trying to figure out the cause of her sharp abdominal pain and frequent urges of urination... 

Because of misdirections and the lack of ovarian cancer awareness in the medical communities, physicians my mother sought repeatedly failed to recommend a vaginal ultrasound test, which might have detected the darn thing much earlier... the regret of delaying the proper diagnosis has continue to haunt our family. 

… For the sake of your mother, daughter, wife, or sister, if not your own... take one minute of your time to educate yourself on ovarian cancer... early detection may prevent an arduous cancer battle for the family... or spare the life of someone dear to you: http://woktoss.com/?p=12826”

Follow the link to read about what her mother was finally diagnosed with, and what the girl did in response to the news: http://www.empowher.com/community/share/ovarian-cancer-0