6 / 8
Ovar ian cancer
Watch for
early cues
It was once
considered a silent
disease—often going undetected
until it was too late to do much
about it.
But now doctors believe that
ovarian cancer may cause early
symptoms. And if you’re a woman,
it’s important to become familiar
with them.The reason?
More than 90 percent of
women whose ovarian cancers are
found and treated early will live
five years or longer, reports the
American Cancer Society.
Unfortunately, only 15 percent
of ovarian cancers are actually
found at an early stage. However,
if you know what to look for, you
can get the symptoms checked.
The most common early
symptoms include:
●
Urgent or
frequent need to urinate.
●
Bloat-
ing.
●
Pelvic or abdominal pain.
●
Difficulty eating.
●
Feeling full
quickly while eating.
These symptoms are relatively
common. But if they are new for
you, occur almost daily and last
for more than a few weeks, you
should get a checkup, preferably
with a gynecologist.
WHO IS MOST AT RISK?
Half of all ovarian cancers occur
in women 63 or older. But it can
occur earlier.
In addition to advancing age,
other risk factors include:
● ●
A family history of ovarian,
breast or colorectal cancer.
● ●
A personal history of breast
cancer.
● ●
Being of Ashkenazi Jewish
origin.
● ●
Being a carrier of a genetic mu-
tation linked to ovarian cancer.
● ●
Never having children or hav-
ing a child after age 35.
Gallstones: A sometimes painful problem
They can sit there quietly,
never giving you trouble.
Or they can be a major
pain—literally.
We’re talking about
gallstones—hard par-
ticles that form in the
gallbladder.
The trouble
with stones
Many people who have
gallstones never know it
because the stones don’t
cause symptoms.
But sometimes stones
will leave the gallblad-
der and block the ducts
(tubes) that connect the
gallbladder and liver to
the small intestine, trig-
gering what’s known as a
gallbladder attack.
An attack often hap-
pens after eating. Its
hallmark symptom is
sudden pain in the upper
right part of the belly
and sometimes the upper
back. A typical attack
can last an hour or more.
Most gallbladder at-
tacks stop when the
stones move out of the
ducts. But serious com-
plications can develop if
the stones remain stuck,
which can irritate and
inflame the gallbladder.
You need immediate
medical help if that hap-
pens. Symptoms include
pain that lasts for more
than five hours, whites
of the eyes or skin that
looks yellow, fever, or
nausea and vomiting.
Say so long to stones
Talk to your doctor if
you suspect you’ve had
a gallbladder attack. If
you’ve had one attack,
you’ll likely have another.
So doctors often sug-
gest a surgery, called
a cholecystectomy, to
remove the gallbladder.
It’s usually done through
tiny incisions. This allows
many people to recover
quickly and sometimes
even avoid a hospital stay.
If you can’t have
surgery, another option
might be drugs that dis-
solve gallstones.
Sources: American Academy of Family
Physicians; National Digestive Diseases
Information Clearinghouse
6
DESTINATION HEALTH