There are 4 stages of ovarian cancer. In stage I the cancer is confined to one or both ovaries. In stage II it has spread outside of the ovaries to the uterus or fallopian tubes. In Stage III the cancer has spread outside of the pelvic area but still within the abdomen. Stage IV means the cancer has started to spread throughout the body.
Dealing with a devastating disease like cancer can cause many fears about life and death. A good way to help yourself overcome these feelings is to become more spiritual! Studies show that people who engage in regular worship and prayer fare much better and live longer than those who don’t.
There are certain tests that aid in the early detection of certain cancers. These tests can detect cancer cells before they cause any symptoms, increasing the chances for successful treatment. See your doctor regularly and have the recommended tests for breast cancer, testicular cancer and pap smears. Early detection is key to surviving cancer.
If you have been diagnosed with cancer you need to quit smoking right away. A lot of smokers with cancer think they shouldn’t quit smoking. Their thinking is that they are sick already. The cigarettes’ carcinogens may greatly decrease your body’s chance of fully recovering.
When battling cancer it is important to surround yourself with people who will honestly listen to your opinions and feelings without judgment. There are days when you are going to be angry, frustrated or sad and you need to be able to express those feelings openly and honestly when need be.
Ovarian cancer is a serious form of cancer that is hard to treat. The symptoms don’t usually make themselves known early, and there are no screening tests for early detection. There are several ways to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer such as a diet low in fat, sugar and red meat. Keeping weight down, and taking birth control pills can also reduce the risk. As a last resort, some women choose to have their ovaries removed after childbearing. This removes the risk entirely.
Do not isolate yourself from friends and family if you are diagnosed with cancer. Sometimes, people will become depressed and close up if they find out they have cancer. The emotional support from others will give you strength and a renewed energy to fight. You may be able to get useful advice from others who have experienced cancer as well.
Sit down and go over your goals and priorities. A cancer diagnosis provides a good reason to re-evaluate and reflect on your life. Some things that were important may no longer be as important as they were before. Are there activities that you have been thinking of doing or people you haven’t seen that you would like to?
If you have been diagnosed with cancer, you should be willing to take help from wherever it may come. Help could come from family and friends, your place of worship, or even the community overall. You can find help out there; be sure to take it. You might not be able to work with cancer and the emotional toll may be too much to handle alone.
It’s important that you stick to a regular eating schedule when you’re fighting cancer. The food may want to exit the same way it entered due to your chemo, but you cannot afford to skip meals here. Losing strength means that you are losing the fight. Work to stay strong so that you can beat the cancer.
If you have been recently diagnosed with cancer or have had it for some time I would highly suggest finding and joining a cancer support group. Cancer is one of the hardest diseases to deal with emotionally because it’s mortality rates. Having a support group will help you cope and enjoy your life the best you can.
In addition to doing self-breast exams and having your mammograms, be sure to visit your doctor for regular exams. For women in their 20s and 30s, it should be done by a doctor at least once every three years. Women over thirty should have them examined at least once a year.
If you are one of the many women that has dense breast tissue, find a mammogram facility that works with digital imagery. Digital scans will do a much better job at detecting cancer in the women with dense breast tissue than the traditional film would. It will provide your doctor with a clearer image and make it easier to read the images.
Stage I is the best case scenario. The cancer is still confined to the ovaries, making surgery alone a more successful option. When it goes into stage II, a hysterectomy is often necessary to make sure all of the cancer was removed. Stages III and IV are more likely to require chemotherapy.
