Preventing Ovarian Cancer
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There are ways to reduce your risk factors for ovarian cancer. You may want to consider looking into the
research and finding a good strategy that works for you. The following are a few ideas on prevention tactics
you might want to add to your life so you can reduce your risk of developing ovarian cancer.
The easiest way to reduce your chance of ovarian cancer is to take oral contraceptives or birth control pills.
Studies have found that these medicines have reduced the risks of ovarian cancer by over fifty percent for
women who have taken them for three or more years. Those who have undergone genetic screening and
have found that they have mutations of the genes that cause ovarian cancer may also get additional benefits
but more study by doctors is needed to confirm this.
Another option is the tying of the fallopian tubes. This option can help significantly reduce your risks of ovarian
cancer by two-thirds, that’s sixty-six percent. This is also a good option for those women who are sure they
don’t want kids anymore.
Some studies have shown that hysterectomies will also decrease the risk of ovarian cancer. However, it is
not recommend to have this procedure done unless that is a good medical reason to do so. If a woman has
already been through menopause or is nearing menopause then it may be a good idea to have the ovaries
removed through a hysterectomy.
In addition, those who have more than one child and breast feed them for more than one year have been
found to have a reduced risk of developing ovarian cancer.
However, no matter what it is always best to discuss the issues of ovarian cancer prevention with you doctor.
They will be able to provide you with screening and a strategic plan to help reduce your risks of ovarian
cancer. However, before speaking to your doctor it is a good idea to know your options so you can have time
to think over what you would like to do.
There are four specific stages of ovarian cancer. Knowing these stages will help you to determine what your
treatment options are and what symptoms to look for so you can get the upper hand on the silent killer.
Stage one is when the cancer is limited to the ovaries only. Within this there are three stages. Stage 1A is
when the cancer is limited to just one ovary, 1B is when the cancer is in both ovaries and 1C is with tumors
on either one or both ovaries and a tumor on the surface.
Stage two is when the ovarian cancer involves one or both ovaries with pelvic extension. Stage 2A is when the
cancer has extended to the uterus and/or the tubes, 2B is when the cancer has extended to the pelvic tissues
and 2C is a tumor with a ruptured capsule that contains malignant cells.
Stage three is ovarian cancer that involves one or both of the ovaries and the cancer has spread outside the
pelvis. Liver metastasis can equal stage three ovarian cancer. Stage 3A is when the cancer is limited to the
pelvis but microscopic examination shows seeding in the abdominal cavity, 3B is when the cancer has
become implanted on abdominal surfaces but nothing is above two centimeters in diameter and 3C is any
abdominal cancers over two centimeters in diameter.
Stage four is a growth on one or both of the ovaries with distant metastasis. Stage 4A is an extension of
metastasis to the uterus and/or the tube, 4B is an extension to the pelvic tissues and 3C is a ruptured
capsule with malignant cells.
Ovarian cancer is termed a silent disease because it typically isn’t found until it is in the advanced stages. In
most of these cases by the time the cancer is detected it has already spread to other parts of the abdomen.
However, there are some early warning signs that can help you to detect ovarian cancer before it is too late.
Doctor do not know what percentage of ovarian cancer cases have early warning signs. The majority of
women who are diagnosed with the disease often experienced symptoms. However, since most women
who were diagnosed were in the advanced stages it is impossible to determine how many of these had
symptoms before the cancer started to spread.
Another fact is that many cases of ovarian cancer often take months to diagnose. Almost half of the ovarian
cancer cases take more than three months and a handful take longer than a year to diagnose. Therefore, it is
possible that a number of women have early warning signs.
The most common early symptom is abdominal swelling and bloating. Although this is often ignored as
being just a little extra weight. However, not all women will have the same symptoms. Therefore, it is
important to learn about all the possible warning signs so you can recognize them and get to the doctor
before it is too late. Other early warning signs include: abdominal or pelvic pain, gastrointestinal symptoms
such as gas, vaginal bleeding or discharge, urinary problems, fatigue, fever, back pain and difficulty breathing.
While a majority of the time these signs will not be a result of ovarian cancer it is important to have them
checked out. This way if you do have ovarian cancer you can catch it early and have a better chance of treating
it.
Dr Christiane Northrup has some interesting insights into the emotional and energetic issues associated
with ovarian cancer. Whilst it is impossible to generalize emotional and energetic responses, she highlights
the issue of rage in ovarian cancers. She describes the ovaries as being 'female balls' which means they
relate to an active participation in the world in a way that expresses our unique creative potential, as women,
on an individual basis.
She says: "...we as women must be open to the uniqueness of our creations and their own energies and
impulses, without trying to force them into predetermined forms. Our ability to yield to our creativity, to
acknowledge that we cannot control it with our intellects, is the key to understanding ovarian power." (p187,
Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom)
She relates the issue of rage as deriving from being in an abusive relationship - not necessarily physically
abusive, though of course this could be the case. And it may not necessarily be a personal or intimate
relationship. It could be with work, societal, or even spiritual. But it embodies a way of relating and dealing
with something or someone, where the woman involved feels controlled by the situation and does not believe
in her ability to change it, or herself. It is a denial of her innate power and self-sovereignty. A denial of a
woman's innate dignity, creativity, spirituality, and complexity.
Interestingly, Dr Northrup notes that ovarian cancer is linked to a diet high in fat and dairy food. Dairy products
in Oriental medicine, are associated with the liver meridian. Meridians are energy conduits, and though they
have a specific anatomy, they are not equated necessarily with the organs of the same name, as understood
in conventional western medicine. The emotion associated with a liver meridian that is out of balance, is rage
and anger.
Oriental medicine believes that diseases start in our energetic body first, and then progress to the physical
body. And certainly not all women who have a high fat and high dairy diet develop ovarian cancer. Dr Northrup
suggests that women take care of their ovaries and uterus by reclaiming and expressing whatever this deep
creative energy is for them. She suggests taking the time to do this daily.
A recent scientific study has also found that drinking two cups or more of tea a day can reduce the risk of
ovarian cancer by 46%. This study was done in Sweden over a 15 year period. Sweden is a country where
there is a higher risk of ovarian cancer, as are other countries with a high dairy consumption (Denmark and
Switzerland).
