Multinational Clinical Trial Underway for ovarian cancer

According to the American Cancer Society, more than 22,000 cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed this year, and 15,000 women will die from it. More common in women over 55, there is about a one in 69 chance that a woman will contract ovarian cancer during her lifetime. Ovarian cancer remains the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths among women, and though it is a survivable disease, early detection is vital.If detected and treated before it spreads past the ovaries, 93 percent of women will live longer than five years. Unfortunately, only about 20 percent of the cases are caught before this crucial stage. Fewer than half of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer will survive beyond those five years.Ovarian cancer frequently becomes resistant to standard chemotherapy drugs, which is known as "chemoresistance." Chemoresistance makes it difficult to successfully manage and treat ovarian cancer.
A Proactive Approach Towards Detection
Although ovarian cancer was once coined "the silent killer," today, increased knowledge regarding what symptoms to look out for has made it easier for women to detect the cancer in its earliest stages.According to the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance (OCNA), some symptoms appear much more frequently in women with ovarian cancer than other women. These symptoms include bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, and urinary problems such as excessive urgency or frequency.OCNA encourages women to see a doctor, preferably a gynecologist, if they experience these symptoms almost daily for more than a few weeks or simply feel abnormal. Women with family histories that include cancer should be especially alert to these types of changes in their bodies. "Better safe than sorry" is the idea, and doctors will conduct pelvic exams, blood tests and transvaginal ultrasounds to look for ovarian cancer.Once diagnosed, treatments vary widely. Depending on what stage the cancer is in, treatments can include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy or investigational treatments in clinical trials. Phenoxodiol, one investigational (experimental) drug researchers are studying, is currently beginning Phase III of the clinical trial process. Phenoxodiol, which has designated "Fast Track" status by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is believed to help chemotherapy drugs, such as carboplatin, kill chemoresistant cancer cells by removing factors in the cells that block the killing action of chemotherapy. In laboratory studies, phenoxodiol has demonstrated that cancer cells pretreated with phenoxodiol were killed with lower doses of chemotherapy drugs. Importantly, phenoxodiol has been shown not to adversely affect normal cells in animal and laboratory testing.A clinical trial called "OVATURE," for OVArian TUmor REsponse, is underway to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of phenoxodiol. The trial, which aims to recruit 470 patients, is being conducted at clinical sites in the U.S., Europe and Australia. Researchers hope that when used in conjunction with chemotherapy (carboplatin), phenoxodiol will battle the cancer better than the chemotherapy can on its own.In 2007, the National Institutes of Health will invest $106 million in ovarian cancer research. Yet despite continual advances in medicine, ovarian and other cancers remain difficult to detect and treat. It remains important for women to be alert to changes in their bodies and maintain a willingness to take action when something doesn't feel right. While perhaps ovarian cancer can no longer be called a "silent killer," it is still a quiet one. Increased awareness and more research are keys to helping women fight this deadly disease.
Source by ezinearticles.com

3:25 AM | 0 komentar | Read More

Living with Ovarian Cancer

Living with ovarian cancer can be very tough on a woman. Even if she gets her cancer diagnosed early, the treatment process itself can produce complications that can make her life miserable. For example, chemotherapy is known to make people sick, while surgery carries with it a lot of pain. But at least these options will bring about long-term survival, when they are used with ovarian cancer in its beginning stages. Yet, what about women who are living with ovarian cancer that has progressed to something much worse? They suffer both the complications of treatment and the fact that their chances of living long aren't very high.With that being said, what's the best way to go about living with ovarian cancer? Well, first a woman should network with other women who are also living with ovarian cancer. These women can be found on ovarian cancer message boards and/or at ovarian cancer support groups. Sometimes you can contact people who are part of these groups as they are often in a similar situation as you.Secondly, you should consider going to clinical trials. These are research studies in which new drugs or other ovarian cancer therapies are tested. Granted, there's no guarantee that such things will stop your ovarian cancer, but it at least gives you some form of hope. You are also providing invaluable research data for scientists who are looking to see what will kill the cancer tumors and what won't. Even if the treatment can't save your life, perhaps through your participation researchers can gain the knowledge they need to form future treatments that could save the lives of other women.Finally, when you are living with ovarian cancer, you should find a way to develop your spiritual side. This doesn't necessarily equate to being religious, though if you are religious it doesn't hurt to hold on to it even more. But with true spirituality, you are looking at things on a level higher than obeying commandments or even seeking 'heaven'. With true spirituality you are looking at your existence in relation to the overall universe and God. Even atheists can become more spiritual, by partaking in the things of life that bring an ethereal sense of joy. For example, going camping and enjoying the beauty of nature is one way of increasing a person's spirituality. Embarking on your own personal talents, such as painting or writing is another way you can get in touch with your spirituality.In conclusion, you do not have an easy road ahead when you are living with ovarian cancer. However, you can make life more bearable by: talking about your disease with other women who also have it, partaking in clinical trials and developing a deeper sense of spirituality in spite of living with ovarian cancer. These things won't make your cancer go away, but they may help you find more comfort as you go through each day.
Source by ezinearticles.com

10:08 PM | 0 komentar | Read More

Prognosis of Ovarian Cancer, Nothing is Set in Stone

The definition of a prognosis is a professional medical opinion about the most likely course and outcome of a particular disease based on records from hundreds of patients with the disease.However, there are many factors that can influence your individual ovarian cancer prognosis. Some of these factors include a patients overall health, their response to treatments and the stage of the cancer. This is why an ovarian cancer prognosis can never accurately predict the future for a woman with ovarian cancer.It is easy to see why women who have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer are worried about their future. Among women, ovarian cancer is the fourth leading death from cancer. In order to help patients and their family plan for treatment, lifestyle changes and financial issues it is best to learn as much about the disease as possible so you know what is likely to happen in the future months. Often those who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer are anxious to hear their prognosis. As a result, many go to their doctors or research statistics associated with ovarian cancer.The simple definition of an ovarian cancer prognosis is the fact that it provides a patient with their probability of pulling through and recovering from the cancer or suffering a recurrence. A return of the cancer is always an issue with whether or not a patient wants to continue treatments.Some of the factors a doctor will consider when making an ovarian cancer prognosis include the following:
•The type and location of the cancer
•The stage of the cancer and how far it has spread to other areas of the body
•The age, overall health and treatment reaction of the woman
Before a doctor discusses a patient's prognosis and attempt to determine what will happen, all of these factors are considered carefully. Doctors will also base their prognosis on data from researchers that has been gathered throughout the years from hundreds or thousands of cancer patients. These statistics will often help a doctor to consider patients in a similar situation to that of the individual they are treating.When a patient has a positive response to cancer treatment then they will often get a positive prognosis. However, if a patient has a poor response to treatment then they will likely get a unfavorable prognosis. It is important for women to remember that a prognosis is simply a prediction of what the doctor thinks will happen, but it is never completely accurate regarding the final outcome of a patient's treatment.A doctor who has spent a lot of time with the patient will have the most current information about the patient's illness. This is why it is important for cancer patients to stay with the same doctor in order to increase the strength of the prognosis.It is important to realize that a doctor can't guarantee a prognosis to be accurate. A prognosis can quickly change if the cancer spreads or if there is a positive response to treatment. An ovarian cancer prognosis should simply be a guide to help a patient prepare for how they are going to deal with the illness.
Source by ezinearticles.com

7:15 PM | 0 komentar | Read More

Raising Ovarian Cancer Awareness

given though September is the 'official' month for ovarian cancer awareness, women of all ages need to be known about the disease. That's right... women of all ages. Why would ovarian cancer awareness matter for women who are not at the age for which there is a greater risk for getting the disease? Well, first of all there are pre-menopausal women who get ovarian cancer, though such a situation is not as common. Secondly, with proper ovarian cancer awareness, a young woman can make lifestyle choices that may help decrease her chances of getting the disease later on in the future.So, what are some issues that should be of concern when it comes to ovarian cancer awareness? Well, the first element to proper ovarian cancer awareness involves the preventative measures a woman can take to reduce the her risk of developing the condition. These preventative measures include: having babies in one's 20s, breastfeeding, taking birth control pills, avoiding talcum powder both on oneself and when changing a baby's diaper and eating a healthy diet with a limited number of saturated fats and dairy products. Women who are at greater risk can also consider getting their ovaries removed or getting a hysterectomy when they get elderly.The next are of concern when it comes to ovarian cancer awareness involves educating women of the symptoms associated with the condition. These symptoms involve urinary incontinence and abdominal pain in the disease's very early stages. As it progresses these symptoms will become worse and may be accompanied by other symptoms such as increased abdominal girth, digestive problems, post-menopausal bleeding and painful sex. By knowing these symptoms, (which tend to be mistaken for other less serious conditions), women can at least consider the possibility that they may be suffering from ovarian cancer.The final element of ovarian cancer awareness should involve giving a voice to the women that do have the disease. Too often in ovarian cancer awareness campaigns so much emphasis is placed on preventing the disease or even diagnosing the disease that the women who actually have the condition are forgotten. These women should be encouraged to speak about their condition, so other women who have it can develop strategies for which they can better deal with living with such a deadly illness.So, how can a woman increase ovarian cancer awareness? She can make a donation to any ovarian cancer awareness causes as well as participate in any fundraisers such organizations might be having. A common fundraiser could be a walkathon. Additionally, women who already have ovarian cancer can increase awareness by writing about their condition on message boards or on networks that accept articles from individuals. She can also consider starting a website or a blog about her condition, so the world can know that even if you are unfortunate enough to get the disease, it doesn't mean your life has to end. All in all if ovarian cancer awareness is going to be successful, both ovarian cancer sufferers and women who are not at risk need to find ways to contribute to such causes.
Source by ezinearticles.com

9:35 PM | 0 komentar | Read More