GET a LEG-UP ABOUT OVARIAN CANCER…IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE
What you don’t know could hurt you

As a woman in America, your chance of becoming afflicted with ovarian cancer is 1 in 57, but fewer than a third are found in time for treatment to improve long-term survival.

Why?

The chief symptoms of ovarian cancer—abdominal swelling, pain, and bloating—are also symptoms of gastrointestinal or other health problems, so detecting this uncommon cancer is tricky.

Now, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association, women who have recent, severe, frequent, and persistent symptoms should undergo diagnostic tests that detect ovarian masses, which can be malignant.

In women who are diagnosed with early ovarian cancer, the five-year survival rate is 70 to 90 percent. But when the disease is detected at an advanced stage, that rate drops to 20 to 30 percent.

According to Carolyn D. Runowicz, MD, Associate Editor of the Massachusetts Medical Society’s, Health News, various tests to detect ovarian cancer early have not proved practical or effective.  One test, which measures a blood marker that’s often elevated in women with ovarian cancer, is nonspecific (women without the disease, especially if they’re premenopausal, often test positive). And transvaginal ultrasounds (TVUS), which allow doctors to visualize the ovaries, are also impractical, because estimates indicate that detecting just one case of invasive cancer would require doing more than 5,200 ultrasounds.  Moreover, these ultrasounds can’t always distinguish abnormalities caused by disease from those caused by normal ovarian cysts that occur as a result of ovulation.

Nevertheless, women with persistent symptoms—particularly abdominal bloating, pain, and urinary problems—should consult their gynecologist, Dr. Runowicz says.  But remember that most ovarian masses or cysts are benign, and most don’t cause symptoms.

In her experience, Dr. Runowicz says, women with symptoms of ovarian cancer often have a delay in diagnosis because they first go through an extensive work-up for gastrointestinal causes, such as gallbladder disease, ulcers, or irritable bowel disease.  So, even though it’s appropriate to have a diagnostic work-up for gallstones—which are more common than ovarian cancer—Dr. Runowicz recommends seeing a gynecologist for a pelvic and rectal exam, and possibly a TVUS, as well.

Some 1400 women answered an anonymous survey about symptoms they had experienced during the past year that could be associated with ovarian cancer.  The same survey was given to 128 women before they underwent surgery to remove a pelvic mass.   Most (84) of those masses were benign, but 44 turned out to be ovarian malignancies.

Nearly three-quarters of the group of 128 women reported recurring symptoms, including back pain and fatigue, as well as bloating, constipation, abdominal pain, or urinary symptoms.  Most women had at least two different symptoms which usually occurred two or three times per month.

But the ones with malignant masses had symptoms 20 to 30 times per month.  The combination of bloating, increased abdominal size, and urinary symptoms occurred in 43 percent of women with cancer.

If you experience symptoms of this kind, take Dr. Runowicz’s (and my) advice: see your gynecologist.

Have you ever been awakened from a sound sleep in the middle of the night with a terrible pain in the calf of your leg? Or sitting in a chair and, wham!…right in the middle of your favorite TV show.

If that should ever happen to you, here’s the fastest way to stop the pain…then, learn how to prevent it.

The pain from a leg cramp can be excruciating.  Usually it lasts only a few minutes, although bad ones can cause lingering soreness. Most of the time, leg cramps affect the muscles in the calf or along the sole of the foot.

The fastest way to stop the pain is to get out of bed, or up out of the chair, and STAND on the affected leg putting your weight on it. It’s easy to get off balance in this situation so be careful about falling, get help if someone is there to assist you.

The next best thing to do immediately is to gently stretch the taut muscles.  With the calf muscles, you can do that by grasping your toes and then slowly pulling your foot toward you.  Leaning forward against a wall, while keeping your heels on the ground, does the same thing. (See below under Stretch.)

Heat (from a heating pad or warm—not hot—water) or massaging of the leg and foot can also help muscles relax, although it’s best to try standing and stretching first.

How to Prevent Leg Cramps in the First Place.

Stretch.  Stretching your calf and foot muscles before you go to bed can help prevent cramps during the night.  Use the technique of leaning against a wall with your feet flat on the floor to stretch the calf and foot muscles. Stand about three feet away from the wall, with your knees straight and your heels on the floor. Lean into the wall, supporting yourself with your hands. You will feel the stretch of your calf muscles. Hold for 60 seconds and repeat three times.   You can also place the front part of your feet on the bottom step of a stairway and slowly lower your heels so they’re below the level of the step.

Electrolyte Imbalance.  Low levels of certain minerals known as electrolytes—potassium, calcium, sodium and magnesium—can contribute to causing leg cramps.  Imbalances often occur if you’re dehydrated, so drink plenty of water and, perhaps, supplement it with a sports drink (usually they’re rich in electrolytes).  As we get older, we tend to forget to drink enough water because the thirst impulse becomes weaker with age.  Some people worry about adding more trips to the bathroom, especially at night, so they drink less water at night . . . not good if you are prone to leg cramps.

Wear good shoes.  Flat feet and other structural foot problems make some people particularly susceptible to leg cramps.  Proper footwear is one way to compensate.

Loosen up the covers.  Many people like to sleep under snug covers.  But, especially if you’re lying on your back, the covers can press your feet down, a position that tightens up the calf and the muscles along the bottom of the foot.  Tight muscles are vulnerable to cramping.  Just loosening the covers can help.