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In the past few weeks, we’ve heard from some of you that reading our newsletter has inspired you to schedule an overdue test, a doctor’s appointment or simply to think about how to prioritize your health. It means the world to us to hear those stories. Thanks for sharing and keep them coming.
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- Maggie Ruvoldt & Stephanie Majercik
The Tasting Menu
Gynecological Cancer Month - Ovarian Cancer
The Basics of Endometriosis
Care for the Caregivers
Gynecological Cancer Month - Ovarian Cancer
Continuing our awareness during Gynecological Cancer Month, we have some facts about ovarian cancer for you. Developing mostly in older women, ovarian cancer impacts about 1 in 78 women with almost half of those being diagnosed after they are 63.
Because the early stages have few symptoms, detecting ovarian cancer can be challenging. There are some things that may increase you risk:
If you have a family history in a close female relative
If you have a history of endometriosis. They two also have similar symptoms when symptoms appear in ovarian cancer
Having your first child over 35 or not having had a full term pregnancy
There is currently no specific test for ovarian cancer. Pelvic exams and imagining tests are two common ways ovarian cancer is detected today. Women also have a higher level of a protein called CA-125, if they have ovarian cancer.
Symptoms appear in the later stages and can include:
Pressure or pain in the abdomen or pelvic area
Feeling full when you haven’t rate
Frequent urgency to urinate not associated with liquid intake
Just last week, we saw a report on a blood test that may detect ovarian cancer as well as breast, lung and other cancers. It’s an exciting development in the early stages.
Resources on Ovarian Cancer
Mayo Clinic Ovarian Cancer Information Pages
Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA) patient resources
National Ovarian Cancer Coalition
The Basics of Endometriosis
Endometriosis is another condition we’ve touched upon here, but haven’t covered in depth. Many of you have shared your stories relating to your endometriosis diagnosis and so its time we share the facts.
First and foremost, endometriosis is the growth of tissue (similar to your uterine lining) outside of the uterus. Like PCOS, endometriosis is a common disease affecting over 11% of US women, and 89 million women worldwide. It’s also more than just a hormonal disease, according to the Endometriosis Association, its known to be a “hormonal, immunological, toxicological, and epigenetic” (passed through generations) disease.
Signs and Symptoms
If you’re questioning whether you have endometriosis, one of the main indications is pain. That can come in many different forms including debilitating menstrual cramps, pain during or after sex, intestinal pain, or painful bowel movements. Other symptoms may include:
Gastrointestinal issues (bloating, diarrhea, constipation, etc)
Bleeding or spotting in between periods
Infertility
Excessive bleeding/very heavy periods
Frustratingly, the only surefire way to confirm an endometriosis diagnosis is through an invasive laparoscopic surgery, which means it can take several years and multiple misdiagnoses before you’re able to start treating the endometriosis (as many of you can relate to). However, we’re encouraged to see researchers working on non-invasive diagnostics for endometriosis, and have determined that it may be possible to detect the disease through tissue shed during menstruation, which could lead to earlier diagnoses and more proactive treatments.
Speaking of Treatments…
There unfortunately is no cure for endometriosis, but there are a few ways to manage the pain, such as pain medication, hormone therapy, and some surgical techniques to remove some of the endometrial growths. Some women may opt to undergo a hysterectomy, but this may not be sure cure.
Alternative treatments - think Traditional Chinese Medicine, nutritional approaches, or homeopathy - may also benefit women with endometriosis. And then there’s also the tried and true approaches of pain management we’re all familiar with that include warm baths and heating pads to ease pain and cramps.
We know there’s a lot more to cover and so we’ll be continuing to dive in more in future issues. What else do you want to know about endometriosis?
Care for the Caregivers
Did you know that seven states and Washington D.C. provide paid time off when you need to care for a loved one?
We weren’t sure if we should say “Yay!” or “What? Only 7 + D.C.?!?” We’ll share more of our thoughts about Paid Family Leave soon.
You may be asking yourself, why I am reading about paid time off in a women’s health newsletter? So glad you asked.
65% of those providing care for a loved one are women
People providing care for family or friends report depression and anxiety and worse overall health
Financial health contributes to physical and mental health. Caregivers experience disruption in their work and careers. And more than three-fourths spend their own money on caring for a family member.
What’s a caregiver to do?
Many of caregivers are working part-time or full-time. Kudos to Morgan Stanely for putting together some workplace benefits you can tap into as a caregiver.
Caring for yourself as a caregiver is hard. We love the Family Caregiver Alliance’s resources for caring for yourself as a caregiver.
Find out what additional benefits your employer offers and ask if they offer paid caregiver days. Thirty-nine percent of companies report offering paid caregiver leave and you can often take intermittent paid leave (meaning a few days at at time). Many employees don’t know that.
Medical Term of the Week
It is rare (less than 5%) but some genes that cause cancer are “inherited”. That doesn’t mean cancer is inherited. Occasionally, a family will have multiple members who develop the same types or related types of cancers due to an inherited gene mutation. This is called Hereditary Cancer or Family Cancer Syndrome.
Since we get our genes from our biological parents, they pass any mutations in genes down to us. If one of those mutations is in a tumor suppressor gene, it may result in cancer development.
This is why family medical history is so important. If you have a history of specific types of cancer in several family members such as uterine, breast or colorectal, you may have a higher risk.
Company Profile
As we mark Gynecological Awareness Month and the importance of education on the 5 types of gynecological cancer, we’d like to introduce you to the Foundation for Women’s Cancer.
What The Foundation For Women’s Cancer does: This nonprofit organization is the foundation of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology. They support research, education, and public awareness.
What we love about them: Many people aren’t aware or knowledgeable about all 5 types of gynecological cancer. The Foundation for Women’s Cancer provides valuable content on their site, webinars and events, and resources on clinical trials and finding a provider.
Where you can learn more or get involved: Start on their website for information or jump right to the get involved page to help with their mission. Also, this September you can participate in their annual fundraiser Move4Her (link to move4her.com) to help raise funds for research and to power programs like Move the Message (link to movethemessage.org), which aims to increase awareness of the 5 gyn cancers, especially among historically marginalized communities such as brown and black women and those in rural areas.
The Latest
As much as we love to read, we also love good watch. Dr. Kathleen Jordan of Midi Health makes the case for why you need specialized care 40+. Yes, she’s talking specifically about Midi. However, if you need convincing, you should take the minute to watch it. (From Midi Health)
We’ve talked about heart attacks in women and how symptoms are not the ones you classically think of. That leads to gaps in care. Well, there is some evidence that AI can address those gaps. (From Futurity.org)
Dr. Izabella Wentz penned a great and simple (but long) piece on thyroid test. It’s a helpful guide to the top 10 tests and what they mean. (from Thyroid Pharmacist)