BEST SKY

In recent years, scientists have given much attention to natural and alternative therapies for preventing and treating cancer. One of the most promising natural remedies is green tea. In study after study, green tea has been shown to prevent heart disease and several forms of cancer.

Green tea first gained notice because of the significantly lower incidence of many serious illnesses in the Asian culture. Asians consume large amounts of green tea, and have a far lower risk of heart disease and many forms of cancer. Consider, for example, the statistics on lung cancer. Japanese men have a significantly lower risk of both heart disease and lung cancer than American men, even though 75% of them are smokers.

Asian cultures also have lower risks of breast cancer and almost all forms of digestive system cancer. They are less likely to suffer from diabetes and high blood pressure, too. It’s almost certain that their green tea consumption has an effect on their health.

But, why is green tea such a health protector? Well, the answer seems to be in its powerful anti-oxidants. Research has proven that anti-oxidants are one of the most important keys to preventing cancer and many other diseases.

Green tea, like other forms of tea, comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. Green tea differs from black tea because of its processing. Black tea is fermented during processing; green tea is not. This difference is important because the lack of fermentation leaves the tea’s anti-oxidants in their more natural state, which makes them healthier and more protective.

Anti- oxidants are important because they combat free radicals in our bodies. These free radicals are created when converting the food we eat to energy. If they are not kept in check, they damage our cells and DNA. This leads to a higher risk of many diseases, including cancer, heart disease and stroke.

Anti-oxidants seem to have a scavenging effect on abnormal body cells, which scientists believe is the key to them preventing cancer. The anti-oxidants may rid the body of these rogue cells before they can develop into something more dangerous, like cancer cells.

There have been dozens of studies linking green tea with different forms of cancer, including prostate cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, breast cancer, bladder cancer, and esophageal cancer. However, until recently, there has not been any evidence that green tea can prevent ovarian cancer.

However, one study reported by the UK Tea Council, over 60,000 Swedish women were examined and interviewed regarding their dietary habits, including their consumption of green tea. The women were between the ages of 40 and 76. The study followed the women for over 15 years, and concluded the following:

• The women who drank green tea on a regular basis were far less likely to develop ovarian cancer

• The more tea a woman consumed, the lower her risk. In fact, each additional cup of green tea per day above 2 decreased risk by an additional 18%

This is very promising news for women. Ovarian cancer is the eighth most common cancer in women (not counting skin cancer). It is the fifth most common cancer death in women. It is estimated that about 20,000 new cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed this year and about 15,000 women will die this year from this form of cancer.

The rate of this cancer is reducing. The American Cancer Society reports that the incidence of ovarian cancer has gone down about 0.07 percent each year since 1985. Most victims of this form of cancer are over the age of 55, and it is slightly more common in Caucasian women than women of other ethnicities.

If green tea can help reduce the incidence of ovarian cancer, this is a simple way for women to protect their health. Reproductive cancers can be particularly frightening to women, and we are regularly looking for ways to prevent them.

It’s important for all women to eat a healthy diet and get regular exercise. Both of these are very important to preventing all kinds of disease. In addition, it’s critical to have regular gynecological care. Women who regularly visit their gynecologist and get routine testing as often as the doctor recommends are taking important steps in protecting their reproductive health.

Many reproductive problems, including cervical and ovarian cancer often do not show symptoms until they are far advanced, when they are much more difficult to treat. So, seeing your doctor regularly can help ensure that problems are detected early on, when treatment is more likely to be successful.

And, try some green tea. There’s no downside to adding green tea to your diet. It’s healthy and delicious and has no side effects. You can drink it hot or cold, and today it’s easy to find it in a variety of flavors.

In addition, green tea extract is available in tablet form, so that you can get an even higher dose of green tea each day. You certainly have nothing to lose by adding green tea to your diet and you may be gaining a long healthy life!

Epithelial carcinoma of the ovary or Ovarian cancer is one of the most common gynecologic diseases. It is serious and has a very high mortality rate. It is the fifth most frequent cause of cancer death in women. It is most common in women above fifty years of age. The cancer can appear in younger women too. It is seen that women having genetic predisposition are at greater risk. Clinical statistics also show less cases of this malignancy in women using contraceptive medication. Women who have had early pregnancy or have more children also seem to be at a lower risk factor.

Prognostic factors are used to predict the likely course of ovarian cancer. Stage is the only unanimously acknowledged prognostic factor for patients with ovarian cancer. In case of advanced stage patients, volume of residual disease is considered as a diagnostic factor. To begin a prognosis and establish treatment, the physician needs to know the cell type, stage, and grade of the disease. Other factors that may be important include the patient?s age, histopathologic grade, DNA ploidy, Peritoneal fluid cytology and CA125.

The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), has created standards for the staging of gynecological cancers. Both surgical and pathological findings are taken into account, hence it is called surgicopathologic.

Most ovarian cancer symptoms are seen only in the late stages of the disease. Ovarian cancer is treated with surgery to remove the cancerous cells. This is followed by chemotherapy. It is recommended that people experiencing vaginal bleeding, uncharacteristic period cycles, or intestinal problems should see a physician right away, so that such cases can be detected at the earliest.

Unfortunately, like most of the cancers, the exact cause of ovarian cancer is not known. It is also difficult to find precise information due to contradictory studies.

Mortality rate refers to the number of people dying due to a particular affliction. Ovarian cancer is a predominantly destructive cancer and is rarely detected in its early stages. It is the gynecological cancer with the highest mortality rate. Ovarian cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in women after lung, breast, and colorectal cancer.

Ovarian cancer is responsible for 5% of all cancer deaths among women. In the year 2004 itself there has been around 16,090 deaths of American women from ovarian cancer. In the last five-years, mortality rates decreased from 63% in 1974 to lesser than 50% currently. Mortality rates differ depending on age and the stage at which detected. Five-year mortality rates are less than10%, if the cancer is still contained within the ovary at diagnosis. If it has spread to nearby areas in the pelvis, the mortality rate rises to between 20% and 40% and if it has spread beyond that then the mortality rate is at an all time high of 70% to 90%.

In spite of the rate not having changed much since 1973, the mortality rate has decreased by about 12%. It is estimated that about 1 in 57 women in the United States die due to the malignancy. The ratio of deaths to incidence is around 58.3%.

The mortality rate for ovarian cancer patients is not very good. This is largely due to the trouble of diagnosing. Ovarian cancer can only be diagnosed for certain, with invasive surgery. Unfortunately, most patients with ovarian cancer are not diagnosed until the disease is advanced. This involves spreading of the disease to the upper abdomen. Thus, it becomes very late to carry out operative as well as radiation treatments on the patients. If the disease is detected in the early stages, it is curable in a number of patients.

Ovarian cancer is a gynecologic sarcoma, which is second most frequently diagnosed. In the United States, females have a 1.4 % to 2.5 % chance of developing ovarian cancer. The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), has standardized the staging of gynecological cancers. It is the most frequently used prognostic tool. Both surgical and pathological findings are taken into account. The cancer is staged according to whether it is still in the ovary or spread beyond.

Staging is generally done at the time of surgery. Samples of tissues are taken from various parts of the pelvis and abdomen and studied under intense observation. Staging is very important because the prognosis or the course of action to be taken varies at different stages in case of any cancer. It is important that the staging is accurate. It is possible to miss the spread of the ovarian cancer outside the ovary if it is not staged properly.

Stage IV is the last category of the stages of ovarian cancer. Patients in this stage typically exhibit parenchymal liver metastases and extra-abdominal metastases. Thirteen percent of patients alive are in stage IV. The most common areas where the cancer spreads are generally the liver and lungs. One-third of all ovarian cancer patients have pleural effusions and most of them contain malignant cells. The spleen also gets affected may require splenectomy. Only 0.1% of patients show metastases of the brain.

If the tumor is widespread, treatment begins with surgery, which may include total hysterectomy, followed by chemotherapy. If some tumor remnant is left after chemotherapy, further forms of chemotherapy may be needed. It is important for a patient to find out about the staging procedure and the stage. In this way the patient will and can take part in making vital decisions about the required treatment.

Ovarian cancer is deadly and has a very high mortality rate. It is a disease, which affects the ovaries initially and then spreads to the pelvic area. Surgery and chemotherapy are the only treatments that work in the initial stages.

Bracelets are accessories worn on the wrist. They could be a fashion statement, but can also serve a bigger cause when worn to symbolize a cause and to show solidarity. There are a variety of causes, including deadly diseases such as AIDS and cystic fibrosis that are supported by people the world over.

Ovarian cancer awareness bracelets are made of various materials such as sterling silver pieces and Swarovski crystals. They are endorsed with a ribbon charm and closed with a sterling silver toggle. They come in different designs, colors and sizes. Some bracelets feature encouraging phrases such as ‘Cure Ovarian Cancer’ and ‘Together we shall survive.’ These lovely bracelets are marketed in lattice bags and tied with ribbon. The fight for ovarian cancer awareness is represented by the teal fiber optic beads. The crystals signify the fight for survival and the ordeal of the patient. It is with a lot of pride that the supporter wears the bracelet.

A percentage of the income from the sale of every ovarian cancer awareness bracelet is given to recognized charities to support their awareness and services provided to patients suffering from the dreaded disease. Wearing these bracelets raises awareness of the disease. The charities try to provide monetary assistance to the ovarian cancer patients by trying to meet their daily living and medical needs. Along with spreading awareness and raising required funds, these bracelets help people understand the implication of the dreaded disease. The awareness efforts are promoted and supported by various welfare groups and charities that are operative worldwide.

If you are already under the care of a board certified or fellowship trained board eligible gynecologic oncologist then whether or not you should get a second opinion depends upon your level of trust and personal interaction with your oncologist. Gynecologic oncologists receive 3-4 years of training after ObGyn residency, gaining extra surgical skills which put them into an elite category of highly skilled cancer surgeons. Physicians in this category are specifically trained for treatment of gynecologic cancers, including surgery, chemotherapy and integration of radiation therapy into a comprehensive treatment plan.

On the other hand if you have not seen a gynecologic oncologist, the prudent thing to do is to seek one out and obtain a second opinion from them!! Even if the recommended treatment for a presumed early cancer sounds reasonable to you, it would behoove you to obtain a second opinion. It may mean the difference between cure and no cure.

Almost all universities and academic centers, including NCI designated cancer centers, have gynecologic oncologists on staff. The links section on this site has several options. The main site which lists most of the board certified or eligible gynecologic oncologists in the US is the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists: www.sgo.org

Universities and academic centers are definitely NOT the only place to find qualified gyn oncologists. In fact, these centers have a mix of senior and junior faculty, some who have just recently completed their fellowship. While these junior faculty members are certainly well qualified to care for you and have support from the senior faculty, there are many gyn oncologists in private practice who have a wealth of experience and potentially a better skill set to take care of you. This is because some private practices have a high volume of patients, in some cases exceeding that found in academic referral centers. Therefore,some private practitioners have a greater experience base than academic practitioners. Finally, some private practices are involved in clinicial research, while many are not. If you seek an opinion which may involve research studies, first determine if the practitioner you are going to see is involved in such trials.

The final, and potentially most important, advice is that not all gyn oncologists are the same. Some have better surgical skills than others, some give chemotherapy while others refer to medical oncologists, practice philosophies differ, and as in any area….personalities differ. It is unfortunately impossible to determine who is best suited for your special needs, but a bit of “research” regarding your potential doctor is wise. A certain amount of information can be gleaned from the the Society of Gynecologic Oncologist’s site and the National Practitioner’s Data Bank NPDB, but personality and philosophy differences are more difficult to assess. Unfortunately, there is no overall performance card available like that used in baseball. Some information of this subjective kind is available in patient forums and chats.

Usually, most of the cysts don’t show any symptoms, they are small and benign. Problems can appear if you have larger cysts. Your periods may change, becoming irregular, lighter or heavier than usually, you may feel discomfort low down in your abdomen, or even pain. Sometimes, this pain becomes stronger after you have sex.

The cyst may put pressure on the bladder or bowels, determining you to go to the toilet more often, or sometimes it can cause the production of abnormal quantities of hormones to start. Of course, other symptoms can appear too, especially if you have polycystic ovarian syndrome or endometriosis.

Cysts can cause other problems too. A cyst may burst, having as a result the apparition of a great pain in the lower abdomen. The intensity of the pain depends on a few factors like whether the cyst is infected, or whether there is any bleeding, and it also depends on what the cyst contained. If this problem occurs, you will have to go immediately to the hospital for treatment. Another problem that may appear is when the cyst is growing on a stem from an ovary. In that case, the stem can become twisted, and that will cause a deep pain in the lower abdomen, because the blood supply to the cyst will be stopped.

A functional ovarian cyst appears more often. The follicular cyst appears when, after releasing the egg, the follicle doesn’t shed its fluid, or, if the follicle does not release an egg. Continuing to fill with fluid, the follicle becomes a cyst. This is the most common cyst, it can reach five or six centimeters wide, and usually it disappears in a few weeks without any treatment.

Another type, that is not as common as the follicular cyst is the corpus luteum cyst. It appears when the corpus luteum fills with blood or fluid. This kind of cysts can grow up to six centimeters wide and usually disappear in a few months. Although, the cyst can split, and that will cause pain and internal bleeding.

Another type that can appear is the dermoid cyst. It develops from cells that produce eggs in the ovaries, and can contain tissues like skin, hair or teeth. This cyst usually appears in younger woman, and it might be necessary its surgical removal.

Cystadenomas are cysts that also need to be removed, although they are not usually cancerous. They can grow very large, and are often attached to an ovary. Some of them are filled with a mucous substance, and others with a watery liquid.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome is provoking the apparition of small benign cysts, which will develop if the hormones produced by the ovaries are not proper balanced. Endometriosis can also determine the apparition of ovarian cysts.

Usually, an ovary cyst is found by chance, during a medical examination. That happens because a lot of ovarian cysts show no symptoms. If the doctor suspects that you have an ovarian cyst, he will send you to the gynaecologist. The gynaecologist will perform a vaginal examination, to see if there is any swelling, and usually you will have an ultrasound scan too. Another method the doctor might follow is to put a small rounded tube in your vagina, to scan the ovaries. After having the ultrasound scan, the doctor will know whether the cyst is functional or not, will have information about how dense it is, but it is possible that you will need to have additional CT or MRI scans also. A blood test is another method to see if there is a tumour. The doctor is looking after the CA-125 protein’s level, because a high level can be the sign of ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cysts are very common, and it rarely means they will turn into ovarian cancer. About 95% of the ovarian cysts are non cancerous.