Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can help myself with my mom%26#039;s ovarian cancer. It%26#039;s been 3 months and 3 hospitals and I%26#039;ve been with her every single day since August (they are trying to kick her out of the current one) and recently since they have been trying to discharge her, I%26#039;m getting really anxious and scared. Any stories or suggestions on how to cope so I can help my mom out would be appreciated!|||I%26#039;m a caregiver for my 19 year old son and I know how you feel! I spent 8 months with him almost 24/7 especially when he was hospitalized. I%26#039;m a member of several online groups, and found that each one met a specific need.

One of the best groups that offers a social worker that moderates the group is CancerCare. They offer online support groups and you can also call them directly with questions. You need to join a group, and agree to participate, but it%26#039;s free:

http://www.cancercare.org/

Here are a few more resources that are specific to caregivers for patients with Ovarian Cancer. Perhaps you can find a support group close to where you live, or join an online group.

Caregiver support Groups

http://tinyurl.com/y5s2zz

I basically learned how to be strong. It imay be up to you to carry this burden. I embraced the task because I knew I could . . I didn%26#039;t really want to do it, I would have liked to have someone hold me up, but there was no one else . . I would have prefered that my son be healthy . . but that was not reality . . there was no one else that could take care of him the way I could and encourage him, root for him, stroke his forehead, call the nurse or doctor, talk with him, comfort him, and help him follow the journey no matter which way it went.

Caregivers carry an enormous weight. But, you can do it, you will find your strength. You will be there for your mother.

Take care and good luck.

Mom has read study, and wants to know some stuff but isnt really computer savy. it is saying that some ovarian pill prevents cancer by 50-80 percent, but has risks. what are they and is it worth it|||A good site that may help you find more information is at: http://www.cancer.org

On this site there is information about various clinical studies on different cancers that may have information about testing for medication to prevent cancers such as ovarian cancer.

my aunt might have ovarian cancer. does anyone know the risks of it. like do most people surivive it? i%26#039;ve been looking it up online too. please help if you could.|||i think they can basically just remove the ovary or ovaries (if it%26#039;s in both) %26amp; then have her go through a little bit of chemo or radiation just in case. My grandma had uterine cancer %26amp; I know that%26#039;s what they did for her….hysterectomy with some chemo or radiation %26amp; she was fine.|||Ovarian cancer is cancer of the ovaries, the eggreleasing and hormone-producing organs of the female reproductive tract. Cancerous, or malignant, cells divide and multiply in an abnormal fashion

You have not told the other factors viz. general helth of the patient, grade and stage of the disease, age of the patient, these are required for assesment.

Treatment offered will primarily depend on the stage of the cancer and the woman%26#039;s age. It is always appropriate to consider getting a second opinion, especially when treatment involves surgery, chemotherapy, and possible radiation. Before the patient makes her decision as to which course of treatment to take, she should feel that she has the information necessary with which to make an informed decision. The diagnostic tools mentioned above are used to determine the course of treatment. However, the treatment plan may need to be revised if the surgeon sees that the tumor has spread beyond the scope of what was seen during diagnostic tests.

If te disease is in primary stage - say Stage one it can be easily cured by sugery and chemo-radiation. If it is somewhat advnced say Stage II the overies can be removed and same chemo-ratiation be given. Any way the Oncologist on the spot is the best judge to evaluate the disease and give required treatment. Please act as per his advice with ut any hesitatina dn delay as CANCER IS STILL AN ANIGMA.-|||Her prognosis will depend heavily on her over all health and what stage her cancer is in. Many people DO survive ovarian cancer. Try to help her through this scary time in her life. There is so much evidence that we (cancer patients) thrive in a positive environment and by keeping a positive attitude.

Best wishes to your aunt and family.|||There are more and more reports by establishment oncologists doubting the value of chemotherapy, even to the point of rejecting it outright. One of these, cancer biostatistician Dr. Ulrich Abel, of Heidelberg, Germany, issued a monograph titled Chemotherapy of Advanced Epithelial Cancer in 1990. Epithelial cancers comprise the most common forms of adenocarcinoma: lung, breast, prostate, colon, etc. After ten years as a statistician in clinical oncology, Abel became increasingly uneasy. %26quot;A sober and unprejudiced analysis of the literature,%26quot; he wrote, %26quot;has rarely revealed any therapeutic success by the regimens in question in treating advanced epithelial cancer.%26quot; While chemotherapy is being used more and more extensively, more than a million people die worldwide of these cancers annually - and a majority have received some form of chemotherapy before dying. Abel further concluded, after polling hundreds of cancer doctors, %26quot;The personal view of many oncologists seems to be in striking contrast to communications intended for the public.%26quot; Abel cited studies that have shown %26quot;that many oncologists would not take chemotherapy themselves if they had cancer.%26quot; (The Cancer Chronicles, December, 1990.)

%26quot;Even though toxic drugs often do effect a response, such as a partial or complete shrinkage of the tumor, this reduction does not prolong expected survival,%26quot; Abel finds. %26quot;Sometimes, in fact, the cancer returns more aggressively than before, since the chemo fosters the growth of resistant cell lines.%26quot; Besides, the chemo has severely damaged the body%26#039;s own defenses, the immune system and often the kidneys as well as the liver.

In an especially dramatic table, Dr. Abel displays the results of chemotherapy in patients with various types of cancers, as the improvement of survival rates, compared to untreated patients. This table shows:

-In colorectal cancer: No evidence survival is improved.

-Gastric cancer: No clear evidence.

-Pancreatic cancer: Study completely negative. Longer survival in control (untreated) group.

-Bladder: No clinical trial done.

-Breast cancer: No direct evidence that chemotherapy prolongs survival; its use is %26quot;ethically questionable.%26quot;

-Ovarian cancer: No direct evidence.

-Cervix and uterus: No improved survival.

-Head and neck: No survival benefit but occasional shrinkage of tumors.

Is there anybody out there who has ovarian cancer or knows someone who%26#039;s had it? I am really worried that I may have it and am waiting for an ultrasound. I%26#039;ve done lots of reading about it, but it%26#039;s mostly textbook type stuff. Iam wondering if anybody can tell me their own story about how they were diagnosed etc. I have been having a lot of severe pelvic pain along with bleeding and I know that I have what may be cysts in my ovaries, but I%26#039;m scared that they might be cancerous. Please somebody, if you can share with me I would be most grateful, thank you!!|||Ovarian cancer is cancer that starts in the ovaries. The ovaries are the female reproductive organs that produce eggs.

Symptoms:

Sense of pelvic heaviness

Vague lower abdominal discomfort

Vaginal bleeding

Weight gain or loss

Abnormal menstrual cycles

Unexplained back pain that worsens over time

Increased abdominal girth

Non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms:

Increased gas

Indigestion

Lack of appetite

Nausea and vomiting

Inability to ingest usual volumes of food

Bloating

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:

Increased urinary frequency or urgency

Excessive hair growth

There may be no symptoms until late in the disease.|||HUGS girl!!!!!

I%26#039;ve been having sharp pains in my like lwft ovary area since about December. I am too scared to get it checked out. I am 25 and never had sex!!!!!!|||All I can say that you are doing the right things. You%26#039;ve had exams and awaiting the results. Early detection is KEY for ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer is one of the more nasty cancers. Historic thought was that once symptoms are apparent the disease is usually pretty advanced and the survivability rates aren%26#039;t very good (~50% who are diagnosed die within 5 years). This isn%26#039;t really true anymore as there are some symptoms, but you have to be smart enough to observe them and GET CHECKED OUT!

I sincerely hope it isn%26#039;t ovarian cancer.

Good luck!

Do you know anyone who has had or been diagnosed with ovarian cancer?

If so what age were they and what symptoms did they experience? Also what test were they given for diagnosis? Thankyou x|||I have read that bloating and pain during sex can be symptoms but if you google it there are loads of useful websites that will give you information|||My mom had ovarian cancer. They did surgery and took out part of the tumor, but couldn%26#039;t get it all. She was in stage 4. She took one round of chemo and they sent her home. She was 79, symptoms were bloating and fluid. She first went to local doctor who misdiagnosed it, 4 months later she went to a specialist who found it by taking a test of the fluid they drained from her. It is a bad disease|||My mother was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer at age 56 - it was very advanced when diagnosed and she died 9 months later after undergoing chemotherapy.

Symptoms: severe bloating (fluid), no pain

Diagnosis: initially ovarian cyst (although I think they didn%26#039;t really think that at the time), and it was properly diagnosed during/after an exploratory operation to see what was going on.

She thought the bloating was just weight gain post menopause.

This was in 1994 - although conventional chemotherapy hasn%26#039;t really changed much since then, there is now a new drug called Taxol which has proved to be very effective for Ovarian Cancer - they were trialling this drug in the early 90s, my Mum took part in the trial and it gave her 6 months extra. If she had been given it a bit earlier, I believe she would have fared better. I have heard these more modern drugs can give a good outcome, even when the disease has spread.

I am now 40 years old and insist on ultrasound scans every year because I%26#039;m paranoid that I may have inherited a gene that will predispose me to this terrible disease. I have to insist because there is no real screening programme in the UK for Ovarian Cancer.

Do you know anyone who has had or been diagnosed with ovarian cancer?

If so what age were they and what symptoms did they experience? Also what test were they given for diagnosis? Thankyou x|||Historically, ovarian cancer has been called the %26quot;silent killer%26quot; because symptoms often became apparent so late in the process that chances of a cure were poor.

A recent consensus statement released in June this year (2007) by the American Cancer Society, the Gynaecologic Cancer Foundation, and the Society of Gynaecologic Oncologists found that recent medical studies show identifiable symptoms often do exist for ovarian cancer, even in the early stages. The most common of these are:

- bloating

- pelvic or abdominal pain

- trouble eating or feeling full quickly

- urinary symptoms, such as urgent or frequent feelings of needing to go|||me -38 -no symptoms- smear test -hysterectomy|||Can I just say to you that if you haven%26#039;t been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, just please don%26#039;t go there. I was married to a man who was diagnosed with prostate cancer 8 weeks after we got married and it was a pleasure looking after him and he died in March of this year. Just go to the doctor and please do not think that just in case you are diagnosed with cancer that is a death sentence because it is not. My husband was terminally ill for 10 and a half years and we had a wonderful marriage and a fantastic life together. Do not tell yourself that you have a disease you may not have, because the reality is quite different.

i have all the symptoms of ovarian cancer. the abdominal and back pain. pelvic pressure, bloating, fatigue, gas and leg pain. i went to the doctor and i had an ultrasound done, which said that my ovaries and everything were normal. the pains are getting worse though, should i trust the ultrasound, i%26#039;m 16 btw, with no known ovarian cancer in my immediate family.|||The symptoms you have described could be caused by MANY things besides ovarian cancer. You need more diagnostic testing to see what IS the root of the problem.|||It sounds like you are going to have your period soon.|||If you are still having pain-you should seek a second opinion. That%26#039;s good that you are taking your health seriously but you are young and maybe thinking about it too much. I don%26#039;t know how active you are-do you exercise? Exercise can help all the pain that you have described-walking, running, bicycling, etc. Best of health and luck to you.

i have all the symptoms of ovarian cancer. the abdominal and back pain. pelvic pressure, bloating, fatigue, gas and leg pain. i went to the doctor and i had an ultrasound done, which said that my ovaries and everything were normal. the pains are getting worse though, should i trust the ultrasound, i%26#039;m 16 btw, with no known ovarian cancer in my immediate family.|||This is not a diagnosis. You have no risk factors for ovarian cancer that you%26#039;ve described. In ovarian cancer there are virtually no early symptoms. Later symptoms include a palpable (feelable) pelvic or abdominal mass with irregular or excessive menstrual bleeding or postmenopausal bleeding. Advanced symptoms include ascites, edema of the legs, pain in the abdomen and the backs of the legs. Abdominal swelling, abnormal vaginal bleeding, weight loss, dysuria, constipation, abnormal Pap. You just haven%26#039;t described cancer. You do not have the symptoms. Your condition most likely has some other cause. Did you also have blood tests?|||That%26#039;s no fun.

It might be cancer, or it might be something else, such as problems with your digestive track.. Try seeing another doctor and finding out.

Good luck!

i have all the symptoms of ovarian cancer. the abdominal and back pain. pelvic pressure, bloating, fatigue, gas and leg pain (bad enough to wake me up at night, twice). i went to the doctor and i had an ultrasound done, which said that my ovaries and everything were normal. the pains are getting worse though, should i trust the ultrasound, i%26#039;m 16 btw, with no known ovarian cancer in my immediate family.|||If you are in serious pain, you should by all means go to another physician and ask for a second opinion. I sincerely doubt it is ovarian cancer, given your age and your lack of a history, but ask for a CA-125 test. This test is done by blood sample, and measures the presence of a protein that is associated with ovarian cancer.

Your symptoms could be caused by a lot of stuff, and you should insist that your doc works to find out what it %26quot;is%26quot; rather than just ruling out what it %26quot;isn%26#039;t%26quot;.|||Go back to the doctor until a reason has been found. Ovarian cancer is not the only thing that causes your symptoms.|||you should find more info on it, go to a doc.((another one)) and get it checked aagin!|||If you think that there is something wrong, usually something is. One of my fiance%26#039;s friends had a girlfriend, now his wife who got ovarian cancer at 18. She is now 22 but cannot have kids, but she kept going to the doctor and they caught it in time. The doctor said it was genetic, even though no one in her immediate family had ovaraian cancer.|||Well, there was someone in my mom%26#039;s work who had ovarian cancer and acutally last tuesday she passed away becuase she hadn%26#039;t got it treated on time. Defenetly go to a Hospital immediatley. Not trying to sacre you or anything. But, just be on the safe side and get checked out so that. So that way, if you do have it, you would have caught it on time so that you%26#039;ll be ok.

Good luck!|||u could have what is called a urinary tract infection or pelvic inflamatory disease so i would ask my dr about those two things Good Luck!|||I believe an ultrasound would show abnormalities, not necessarily cancer. Fibroids, tumors, masses.|||cancer is nothing too fool around with. go and get a second opinon and bring everything you have from the other doctor to show him what was done. don%26#039;t ever except the first opinion from any doctor as that is your health and doctor%26#039;s do make mistakes and miss things. I took care of 3 cancer pantients and I never excepted the first doctor%26#039;s word until I heard it from someone else saying the first doctor was right.|||If you feel that something is wrong you should see another doctor for a second opinion. That%26#039;s very important. You know your body better than anyone else, so if you are still having symptoms, just make an appointment to see another doctor. It%26#039;s that simple. If he finds nothing, than you can be sure that you%26#039;re fine. Always get a second opinion if you have any doubts or if a doctor tell you that they need to operate. And stay away from the internet. It can make you really paranoid for no reason at all. If you read enough about certain symptoms you%26#039;ll start to believe that you have them.

Hi I am a 23/F, before I list my symptoms please do not tell me to go see a doctor because I know. I have finaly made an appointment %26amp; will be doing so shortly…

I have been having lower pelvic pain for months. 1st on my right side only and now it has spread to my left. It is a dull achey pain. I am also having a dull aching pain in both of my thighs %26amp; back. I have started burping %26amp; pooping (sorry!) more as well. It seems to be the worst the week or so after I have my period. I have already diagnosed myself with ovarian cancer %26amp; am going through extreme anxiety over the fact I may have it. I have finaly gave in and am going to a doctor even though I am extremely scared of anything gynocological. The symptoms seem to be getting worse. Is it likely that at age 23 I have ovarian cancer? There is no known diagnosis of it in my family. I am just so worried I am driving myself crazy. Thanks guys.|||First you need to calm down. Good thing you already made an appointment with your doctor. yes you do have some of the symptoms of ovarian cancer but you should also know that just because you have those symptoms doesn%26#039;t mean you have ovarian cancer. those symptoms can mean other more benign things. They released the symptoms to tell people when they happen they should see a docotr about ovarian cancer, it%26#039;s not there to diagnose it. No one but a medically trained professional should diagnose you.

When i was in high school I had constant headaches and blurred vision. A classmate swore that I must have a brain tumor. I thought that too. I went to go see a doctor. There was no tumor. I was just overstressed and needed a new pair of glasses.|||The majority of ovarian cancer is in women over 60, but this is what I found on the internet:

Signs and Symptoms

Bloating, a feeling of fullness, gas

Frequent or urgent urination

Nausea, indigestion, constipation, diarrhea

Menstrual disorders, pain during intercourse

Fatigue, backaches.

These symtoms could fit other problems, which sounds like it could be related to your period. I can honestly say that I have had these systoms and I never had ovarian cancer, I did have endometriosis. Only doctors and tests are able to diagnose your problems. I hope you are wrong. I am thankful you have made an appointment because it is important to get diagnosed as soon as possible.|||Listen to the first two answers. And let me add my two cents worth. FYI - It could also be a benign cyst. Your symptoms sound exactly like my sister%26#039;s symptoms several years ago. She had all of the above, plus vomitting. And it was an ovarian cyst. They did laser surgery on it the next day and she was home the day after that. She has not had one since.

23 is not the normal age for ovarian cancer. Not saying it could never happen. But… Usually, not until retirement age. So my guess is, some of that burping and pooping may have to do with nerves….you have worked yourself into a frenzy with an uneducated diagnosis. Glad you are going to see the doctor. Think of how relieved you will feel when it turns out to be nothing major.|||The symptoms you listed could be several different things. Cervical/ovarian cancer isn%26#039;t the one I%26#039;d bet on. Endometriosis, however, is a very common type of infection that causes the lower abdominal pain you described. It usually get%26#039;s worse during menstruation and ovulation. It%26#039;s caused by small growths in the uteris that develop from leftover blood that wasn%26#039;t cleaned out during your cycle. Here%26#039;s the good news, it%26#039;s VERY common. Many women go their entire lives never knowing they have it. The bad news: It CAN block the philopian tubes making conception difficult; the pain can be very intense, and there are no sure-fire cures. It can get better during pregnancy and using hormone therapy (don%26#039;t do the hormones though unless you want a mustache! Yuck!). A hystorectomy was my grandma%26#039;s solution, but that%26#039;s not a guarantee either, plus it%26#039;s incredibly drastic for someone your age. A new treatment involves using a lazer to remove the growths surgically, but they can come back. But if this is what you have, don%26#039;t worry, it%26#039;s not that bad. It%26#039;s incredibly common, and I%26#039;ve actually been dealing with it for a while and doing fine! Also it could be a number of other things. Maybe even a cyst on an ovary, (very common, no biggie, just very painful if you don%26#039;t catch it before it bursts. But the ovaries are a cystic organ so cysts are normal). It could even just be an imbalance throwing you system off that a change in diet could fix. Your symptoms don%26#039;t fit cervical cancer, you didn%26#039;t mention an abnormal pap smear, or even an abnormal period. See your OB-GYN, get regular pap-smears, and practice safe sex. You%26#039;ll be fine. You%26#039;re too young to be obsessing over cancer, that%26#039;s incredibly rare and extremely improbable. I%26#039;m intrested to know what your doc tells you so feel free to email. I hope this helps, best of luck!|||My mom had ovarian cancer at age 57 over 18 years ago. Shes still with us after surgery and chemo. While Its possible at your age to have this,I would bet against It.|||Okay I won%26#039;t tell you to go to a doctor ! , but what then !? . your history make diagnosis of OvCa plausible but not certify it ! . You must undergo a thorough physical exam and work up ; such as vaginal/abdominal sonography , Pelvic CT-Scan . . . and if there any suspected lesion , perhaps open surgical approach for confirmation of any pathologies , so you must go to a Gynecologist as soon as you can .