Are you one of the many women who have cysts on their ovary? For those who have already discovered that they have it or for those who think that a friend might have ovarian cysts, there is an ovarian cyst treatment available to help people who have it live a normal life. However, treatments vary depending on a person’s condition.

About 15 percent of women who are diagnosed in the U.S. come from the PMS bracket, and the ovarian cysts that are diagnosed are benign and not cancerous in the majority of cases. As a matter of fact, 95 percent of ovarian cysts diagnosed yearly are not harmful and may even disappear as a natural healing process of the body. (more…)

Routine tests like pap smears and mammograms are important, but don’t rely on tests alone to protect you from cancer. It’s just as important to listen to your body and notice anything that’s different, odd, or unexplainable. You don’t want to join the ranks of cancer patients who realize too late that symptoms they’d noticed for a long time could have sounded the alarm earlier, when cancer was easier to cure.

1. Wheezing or shortness of breath One of the first signs lung cancer patients remember noticing when they look back is the inability to catch their breath. “I couldn’t even walk across the yard without wheezing; I thought I had asthma, but how come I didn’t have it before?” is how one woman described it.

2. Chronic cough or chest pain Several types of cancer, including leukemia and lung tumors, can cause symptoms that mimic a bad cough or bronchitis. One way to tell the difference: The problems persist, or go away and come back again in a repeating cycle. Some lung cancer patients report chest pain that extends up into the shoulder or down the arm. (more…)

Today the dominant view about the experience of having breast cancer is that being diagnosed and treated constitute crises in the lives of women who experience them, but the experience spans a year by most women with the early stage of the disease (i.e., women with a favorable prognosis).

However, some women may feel the diagnosis and treatment are more traumatic and display some symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

These issues make unique contributions to predicting emotional distress, sexual disruption, and impairments in feelings of femininity in these women as well. In two separate groups of women, patients with early-stage breast cancer who expected to remain cancer free in the future reported less emotional distress.

It also appears that there are significant ethnic differences in the concerns reported and the adverse reactions expressed by patients with breast cancer. Hispanic women report more intense concerns than do other women, as well as higher levels of emotional distress and social and sexual disruptions, whereas African American women report lower levels of distress and disruption in sense of femininity than the other groups. (more…)

Once called a silent killer of women, ovarian cancer was considered to be symptom free up to the point that the cancerous growths had reach critical mass and most likely already spread to other organs. Diagnosis would then be made because of symptoms the other organ manifests, in turn leading doctors to the source of the problem, often times too late for many sufferers to undergo successful treatment.

Nevertheless, in recent years experts and researchers have determined that when comparing case studies of various patients presenting with ovarian cancer, across the board there appeared to be a general agreement about similar feelings of discomfort that took place well before the diagnosis. This has caused the medical industry to rectify its opinion of ovarian cancer and it is no longer considered a symptom free illness, but instead one that has symptoms so subtle that unless the patient knows what to look for, they are likely missed or attributed to other problems. (more…)

Ovarian cancer is one of the many cancers that affect women and it is just as deadly as other forms of cancer. The name itself tells you that the ovaries are involved in the cancer and is often where it starts.

The ovaries are responsible for producing the egg cells released in the female body at least once a month. If the egg isn’t fertilized by a sperm cell then it will be flushed from the body during the menstruation period. However, many question why cancer can occur in the ovaries and what causes it to happen.

The specific cause of this cancer isn’t yet known, but there are some factors to consider that can determine a woman’s risk for it’s development. For example, a woman who had an early menstruation and menopause is at greater risk of having this problem. (more…)

Did you know that the most common cancers that affect women are breast, colon, endometrial, ovarian, skin, cervical and lung cancer? By learning a little about these cancers you can know what actions you can take to possibly save your life or the life of someone you care about.

Breast Cancer

The most common cancer that women may have to face in their lifetime is breast cancer. This disease can strike at any age, but it most common among women 40 and older. There are certain risk factors that may dramatically increase your chances of getting breast cancer, such as a family history of breast cancer. All women should know about breast cancer and what they can do about it.

Steps You Can Take

The very best way to defend against breast cancer is to detect it as early as possible when it is much easier to treat. Early detection is the best weapon against breast cancer. (more…)

I’ve worked in the healthcare field for many years. During this time I’ve had many opportunities to talk with the doctors, nurses and technicians who work in the X-ray department that specializes in mammograms. Here is a list of the ten most important things that women should know about getting a mammogram.

1. This is the most important thing: have a yearly mammogram if you are over 40 years old or have a family history of breast cancer.
2. Go to an X-ray facility that regularly performs mammograms (at least 3-5 per day). This ensures that they have adequate experience in regularly dealing with mammograms. Ask to see their FDA certificate – this shows if they have met high quality professional standards.
3. Go to the same facility each year, if you are happy with the quality they provide. This way it is much more likely that the same people will look at your mammograms each year, and this makes comparing x-rays from prior years much more easy. If you go to a new facility, take copies of your old mammograms to the new place so they can easily compare the x-rays.
4. Medicare, Medicaid and most health insurance plans usually cover the costs of a mammogram up to a certain percentage. Low-cost mammograms are made available in some areas by the American Cancer Society.
5. Every mammogram facility must send your results to you within 30 days. If they find a problem they are to notify you within 5 days. Call your physician or the x-ray facility if you don’t get your results within these time frames. (more…)