Just recently in the LA Times there was an article on the “silent killer” Ovarian Cancer, I thought I would comment on that topic today. Although my practice is limited to treating Benign disease only, many of the same symptoms can be seen in both malignant and non-malignant conditions.

All women should be concerned about Ovarian Cancer, but note that it is not common. Your risk of getting ovarian cancer is 1 in 70 women, and the disease does have a genetic factor, so examine your family history thoroughly. Currently, medicine has screening tests for several different types of cancer….. mammograms for breast cancer, PSA for prostate, Pap smears for cervical cancer but as of yet, nothing with any consistent effectiveness for ovarian cancer. The most widely used screening test, the CA 125 blood test, is grossly inefficient. Many patients with ovarian cancer show no elevation in the marker and yet many women with benign conditions like endometriosis show high elevations.

Since medicine has no definitive test for Ovarian cancer, monitoring symptoms can be critical in diagnosing this disease in its early stages. If caught at Stage 1 – chances of a cure are 95%!!!!! The symptoms tend to be very generic and could be associated with other conditions so don’t panic… however if you have more than two or three of the following, several times a month… call your doctor immediately.