This is my first post about ovarian cancer. I had planned to include it from the beginning, but wanted to wait a while in part because it is so scary. It is not something I’ve read much about yet, so this first post will just be a brief and general overview and review of the lastest news about ovarian cancer that has been released recently.

There is about a 1 in 58 chance for a woman to get ovarian cancer. Most women who do get it, get it after menopause.

As I’m sure you all know, there is not yet a routine way to detect ovarian cancer when it is in its early stages. Most of the symptoms are vague and only about 20% of ovarian cancers are caught early. Unfortunately this means that by the time someone has obvious symptoms and the cancer is found it may be too late to do much to help. However, if it is diagnosed early, over 90% of people can be treated pretty effectively.

Much research is being done though to help find a way to detect it earlier. Potential methods include a blood test to detect proteins that act as markers for the disease. Recently some researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine presented their findings on a study they did that screened blood samples of ovarian cancer patients for the presence of proteins that might indicate they have the disease.

These researchers tested 450 blood samples and found 20 proteins they could use to distinguish 98% of those with ovarian cancer from those without it. They hope that in a few years this test will be further developed to be able to be used to screen for the cancer.

There is also some evidence found just recently of a protein found in urine that might indicate presence of the cancer. [Somewhat OT - the protein is Bcl-2 - I did my prelim in graduate school about Bcl-2 and apoptosis. That was some years ago though and I am not up-to-date on research of Bcl-2, but I will try to follow up on this research.]

So, what can we do meanwhile? All the same things we are always told to do, but can be difficult at times: eat right and stay fit!

One new study shows that women who have a higher than average level of dietary flavonoids might have a lower chance of getting ovarian cancer. Foods high in flavonoids include tea, red wine, soybeans, fruits and vegetables. And recently one new study came out that showed that adding ginger to ovarian cancer cell cultures would cause the cells to die. Whether or not ginger has an effect on ovarian cancer cells in an actual live person is not known.

(Hmm, last weekend I bought some ginger and tofu and vegetables to stir fry - but I’ve been too lazy to get around to doing it! I guess I know what I will be eating tonight! Unless I get to feeling lazy again and grab something fast instead!)

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