Ultrasound screening may catch ovarian cancer early

[alanpvegas]

From the May 1st edition of "Cancer", released today by Reuters:

http://www.alanpeto.com/ovarian_cancer/blogs/31/

[dian07]

Precisely how my cancer was found and staged at IC.....I refused to leave the gyn's office that day until I had a transvaginal ultrasound.....women need to be more pro-active when it comes to health issues.  
Peace.
dian

[nyc lady]

A fellow volunteer at the NOCC was dx'd with stage 1C fallopian tube cancer...caught early because her GYN believes in giving transvaginals to all women nearing menopause and menopausal women.  

Early detection is the best chance we have in surviving this disease.  It is so important that doctors, nurses and women be educated in the signs and symptoms.

[alanpvegas]

I agree...I knew nothing about this until my mom was diagnosed.  She had been 'mis-diagnosed' so many times and they were all the classic ovarian cancer symptoms.  For such a deadly disease, physicians don't seem to care too much...more often it's like 'get em in and get em out' mentality instead of digging in and doing tests such as this one.

It's sad.  I also so another report in a magazine I subscribe to.  Although it's not for ovarian cancer (yet), they are developing a 'breath' test.  You breathe onto this paper and it can tell if you have cancer.  The catch? No catch...it actually works and can even tell if you 'had' cancer.  Amazing.

[Helmar]

I had a TransVag Ultrasound about 18 months before I was dx with Stage 4 Ovca, and nothing was picked up from that U.S. That's one of the reasons why my Doctor kept telling me that I had IBS, Gastro etc. etc. for 9 months... Ovca wasn't even considered at the point. I'm not sure how long it takes for Ovca to show any signs on a scan, but obviously nothing showed with the U.S. that I had.
I hope everyone is well. Hugs....Helmar...

[Floweringhosta]

This link http://news.uky.edu/news/display_article.php?artid=929 gives some further detail.  It appears to from my reading of this that they are not saying TVU is getting any better in detecting the disease, it is merely pointing out that women rarely even GET a TVU. So yes, if more TVU scans are done on more women, then it follows that more of the ovarian cancers that are detectable by TVU will be found.  It doesn't mean that TVUs are getting any BETTER at detecting any and all potential ovarian cancers.  i.e, If everyone gets a mammogram, then more breast cancers will be found, but will a mammogram always detect every breast cancer? - probably not.