Many women with ovarian cancer want to take an active part in making
decisions about their medical care. It is natural to want to learn all you can
about your disease and treatment choices. Knowing more about ovarian cancer
helps many women cope.
Shock and stress after the diagnosis can make it hard to think of everything
you want to ask your doctor. It often helps to make a list of questions before
an appointment. To help remember what your doctor says, you may take notes or
ask whether you may use a tape recorder. You may also want to have a family
member or friend with you when you talk to your doctor-to take part in the
discussion, to take notes, or just to listen.
You do not need to ask all your questions at once. You will have other
chances to ask your doctor or nurse to explain things that are not clear and to
ask for more details.
Your doctor may refer you to a gynecologic oncologist, a surgeon who
specializes in treating ovarian cancer. Or you may ask for a referral. Other
types of doctors who help treat women with ovarian cancer include gynecologists,
medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists. You may have a team of doctors
and nurses.
Getting a second opinion
Before starting treatment, you might want a second opinion about your
diagnosis and treatment plan. Many insurance companies cover a second opinion if
you or your doctor requests it.
It may take some time and effort to gather medical records and arrange to see
another doctor. In most cases, a brief delay in starting treatment will not make
treatment less effective. To make sure, you should discuss this delay with your
doctor. Sometimes women with ovarian cancer need treatment right away.
There are a number of ways to find a doctor for a second opinion:
Your doctor may refer you to one or more specialists. At cancer centers,
several specialists often work together as a team.
NCI's Cancer Information Service, at 1-800-4-CANCER, can tell you about
nearby treatment centers. Information Specialists also can assist you online
through LiveHelp at http://www.cancer.gov/help.
A local or state medical society, a nearby hospital, or a medical school can
usually provide the names of specialists.
The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) has a list of doctors who
have had training and passed exams in their specialty. You can find this list in
the Official ABMS Directory of Board Certified Medical Specialists. The
Directory is in most public libraries. Also, ABMS offers this information at
http://www.abms.org. (Click on "Who's Certified.")
Abdominal pain is pain in the belly and can be acute or chronic. Causes include inflammation, distention of an organ, and loss of the blood supply to an organ. Abdominal pain can reflect a major problem with one of the organs in the abdomen such as the appendix, gallbladder, large and small intestine, pancreas, liver, colon, duodenum, and spleen.
Lymph nodes help the body's immune system fight infections. Causes of swollen lymph nodes (glands) may include infection (viral, bacterial, fungal, parasites). Symptoms of swollen lymph nodes vary greatly. They can sometimes be tender, painful or disfiguring. The treatment of swollen lymph nodes depends upon the cause.
Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled, sac-like structures within an ovary. Causes of ovarian cysts are numerous. Symptoms of an ovarian cysts may be pain in the belly or pelvis. Treatment of an ovarian cysts depends on type of cyst.
Ascites, the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity is most commonly caused by cirrhosis of the liver. Some of the other causes of ascites include portal hypertension, congestive heart failure, blood clots, and pancreatitis. The most common symptoms include increased abdominal girth and size, abdominal bloating, and abdominal pain. Treatment depends on the cause of ascites.
Cancer is a disease caused by an abnormal growth of cells, also called malignancy. It is a group of 100 different diseases, and is not contagious. Cancer can be treated through chemotherapy, a treatment of drugs that destroy cancer cells.
Though it's difficult to say why some people develop cancer while others don't, research shows that certain risk factors increase a person's odds of developing cancer. These risk factors include growing older, family history of cancer, diet, alcohol and tobacco use, and exposure to sunlight, ionizing radiation, certain chemicals, and some viruses and bacteria.
Women's health is an important topic area to guide a woman through the stages of her life, as well as knowing the conditions and diseases that may occur. Educating yourself so that the transitions into different phases of life is key to a healthy, happy, and productive life.
Most often, caregivers take care of other adults who are ill or disabled. Less often, caregivers are grandparents raising their grandchildren. The majority of caregivers are middle-aged women. Caregiving can be very stressful, so it's important to recognize when it's putting to much strain on you and to take steps to prevent/relieve stress.
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