Boston - FRAMINGHAM -- Symbollon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that they have initiated a two-year carcinogenicity study in Sprague Dawley rats for IoGen. This toxicity study is intended to probe the possible effects on rodents of supraphysiological doses of IoGen. In the study, the animals will be given doses up to approximately 100 times the equivalent human dose being taken in the ongoing Phase III pivotal study for IoGen. The protocol for the two-year study has completed a special protocol assessment review by the FDA.
Paul Desjourdy, President and CEO of Symbollon Pharmaceuticals, commented that, "Initiating the CARC study now is an important step toward meeting the Company's planned United States regulatory submission covering IoGen for the treatment of breast pain associated with fibrocystic breasts in 2009."
In preparation of the two-year CARC study, Symbollon previously conducted a dose-ranging study in rodents for the purpose of determining the appropriate doses at which to conduct the two-year study. Upon review of the dose-ranging study, the FDA provided its recommendation for the appropriate dose to carry forward into the two-year study. In the dose ranging study, no adverse effects were observed up to doses of approximately 50 times the equivalent human dose of 6.0 mg administered in the Phase III study. Since the goal of the study is to elicit an adverse response, the FDA has recommended that we increase dose levels up to approximately 100 times the human equivalent in the hope of observing some adverse responses.
About Symbollon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCBB: SYMBA) is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of proprietary drugs based on its molecular iodine technology. Symbollon is conducting a Phase III clinical trial evaluating IoGen as a potential treatment for moderate to severe periodic pain and tenderness (clinical mastalgia) associated with fibrocystic breast disease (FBD). FBD is a condition that affects approximately 20 to 33 million women in the U.S., and there are approximately 7 to 13 million women suffering from clinical periodic mastalgia. The Company believes IoGen also may be useful in treating and/or preventing endometriosis, ovarian cysts, and premenopausal breast cancer. Symbollon is also in preclinical development of antimicrobial products based on the same molecular iodine technology, and intends to investigate the potential effectiveness of its technology in applications such as dermatology, oral care, upper respiratory tract conditions, urinary tract infection and wound care. For more information about Symbollon, please visit the company's website at http://www.symbollon.com.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
On a Sick Planet, Hospitals Must Go Green
http://www.alternet.org/story/48932/
A plate of healthy greens, a breath of fresh air -- hospitals are probably the last place you'd expect to find such age-old aides of healing.
While walking the stuffy hallways of today's typical health care establishments, you're more likely to encounter a plate-full of something bland and wiggly and breathe in a lung-full of toxic fumes.
It's a sad irony of modern living that the health care industry -- the largest single industrial sector in the US economy, and one that generates 2 million tons of waste per year -- adds to the toxic load in a polluted environment that is, in turn, making people sick.
Chronic diseases and conditions now affect more than one third of the US population, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In spite of medical advancements, scientific evidence shows an increase in asthma, autism, learning disabilities, birth defects, childhood brain cancer, endometriosis and other chronic conditions that are linked to toxic pollutants.
Historically, the health care industry has been part of the problem. In 1995, for example, medical waste incinerators were the number-one source of dioxin (the most potent carcinogen known to man) and were responsible for 10 percent of mercury emissions, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.
"Of all the ways to fill hospital beds, burning medical waste shouldn't be one of them," declared protest posters in demonstrations across the country, while advocates pushed for stricter pollution-control regulations and urged hospitals to switch to safer alternatives. A decade later, more than 5,000 medical waste incinerators have closed in the US, and fewer than 100 remain. Thousands of hospitals are also phasing out products that contain mercury.
Shifting the Market
Which brings us to the good news: Even as it has contributed to the problem, the health care sector has demonstrated it can be a large part of the solution.
"As an industry with massive buying power, and one that values health as a core part of its mission, the health care industry can and is shifting the market toward healthier and more sustainable products and practices," says Laura Brannen, director of Hospitals for a Healthy Environment, a non-profit that works with hospitals to eliminate mercury, reduce waste and choose less toxic products.
Imagine, for instance, cancer treatment centers built without materials linked to cancer. Pediatric clinics free of chemicals that trigger asthma. Hospitals that serve fresh food grown by local farmers. Imagine the health care industry at the vanguard of a new sustainable green economy that is compatible with living systems. This vision is starting to take root at major hospitals and health care systems across the country.
As one example of health care's power to shift markets, Kaiser Permanente, the nation's largest non-profit health care system, has required building materials for some 30-million square feet of new construction to be free of PVC plastic, a material that is toxic throughout its lifecycle.
PVC, or vinyl, creates dioxin when manufactured (in places like Louisiana's Cancer Alley). When burned in incinerators, it can also leach the toxic chemical DEHP, which is linked to birth defects and reduced fertility.
In order to meet Kaiser's health-based criteria, manufacturers developed new PVC-free carpet and wall covering products. In exchange, they won exclusive contracts to supply all the health care system's new buildings.
"In an era of rising construction costs, you don't have to pay extra money and use precious health care dollars just to be green," Christine Malcolm, a vice president at Kaiser, told the Wall Street Journal. With the health care industry's purchasing power, "we can force suppliers to generate environmentally sensitive products."
A Brave New Model
Another example of health care using its buying clout to support health values is Catholic Healthcare West, the largest Catholic health system in the Western US. It pulled a $70 million contract from Baxter International, the nation's largest manufacturer of hospital products, after Baxter failed to develop PVC-free IV products. (The contract went to smaller manufacturer B. Braun.)
And last spring, Hospira, Inc., the nation's number-two supplier of hospital products, announced a new "next generation" IV product line that is not only PVC-free but also weighs 40-60 percent less than traditional containers, resulting in significant waste reduction.
From spurring the next generation of safer materials to serving up healthier food, more hospitals are taking an "ecological approach" to providing health care.
"As places of healing and well being, it's important that hospitals walk the talk and act as models for the community by serving healthier food that is grown and distributed in a more responsible way," says Lucia Sayre, program associate for San Francisco Bay Area Physicians for Social Responsibility, who is working with John Muir Health to buy meat from ranchers in a neighboring county. "There is a lot of enthusiasm out there for this type of work. This is only the beginning."
Hospitals are starting to recognize that the health of people is interconnected to the health of the surrounding community and larger environment.
"It's difficult to have healthy people on a sick planet," says Gary Cohen, co-founder of Health Care Without Harm, an international coalition working to reduce the environmental impact of the health care industry.
"The hospital of the 21st century can promote health and prevent disease. It can support the local economy and model the kind of environmentally responsible institutions every community should have. The hospital can situate itself in the broader ecology of its community and act as a healing force."
A plate of healthy greens, a breath of fresh air -- hospitals are probably the last place you'd expect to find such age-old aides of healing.
While walking the stuffy hallways of today's typical health care establishments, you're more likely to encounter a plate-full of something bland and wiggly and breathe in a lung-full of toxic fumes.
It's a sad irony of modern living that the health care industry -- the largest single industrial sector in the US economy, and one that generates 2 million tons of waste per year -- adds to the toxic load in a polluted environment that is, in turn, making people sick.
Chronic diseases and conditions now affect more than one third of the US population, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In spite of medical advancements, scientific evidence shows an increase in asthma, autism, learning disabilities, birth defects, childhood brain cancer, endometriosis and other chronic conditions that are linked to toxic pollutants.
Historically, the health care industry has been part of the problem. In 1995, for example, medical waste incinerators were the number-one source of dioxin (the most potent carcinogen known to man) and were responsible for 10 percent of mercury emissions, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.
"Of all the ways to fill hospital beds, burning medical waste shouldn't be one of them," declared protest posters in demonstrations across the country, while advocates pushed for stricter pollution-control regulations and urged hospitals to switch to safer alternatives. A decade later, more than 5,000 medical waste incinerators have closed in the US, and fewer than 100 remain. Thousands of hospitals are also phasing out products that contain mercury.
Shifting the Market
Which brings us to the good news: Even as it has contributed to the problem, the health care sector has demonstrated it can be a large part of the solution.
"As an industry with massive buying power, and one that values health as a core part of its mission, the health care industry can and is shifting the market toward healthier and more sustainable products and practices," says Laura Brannen, director of Hospitals for a Healthy Environment, a non-profit that works with hospitals to eliminate mercury, reduce waste and choose less toxic products.
Imagine, for instance, cancer treatment centers built without materials linked to cancer. Pediatric clinics free of chemicals that trigger asthma. Hospitals that serve fresh food grown by local farmers. Imagine the health care industry at the vanguard of a new sustainable green economy that is compatible with living systems. This vision is starting to take root at major hospitals and health care systems across the country.
As one example of health care's power to shift markets, Kaiser Permanente, the nation's largest non-profit health care system, has required building materials for some 30-million square feet of new construction to be free of PVC plastic, a material that is toxic throughout its lifecycle.
PVC, or vinyl, creates dioxin when manufactured (in places like Louisiana's Cancer Alley). When burned in incinerators, it can also leach the toxic chemical DEHP, which is linked to birth defects and reduced fertility.
In order to meet Kaiser's health-based criteria, manufacturers developed new PVC-free carpet and wall covering products. In exchange, they won exclusive contracts to supply all the health care system's new buildings.
"In an era of rising construction costs, you don't have to pay extra money and use precious health care dollars just to be green," Christine Malcolm, a vice president at Kaiser, told the Wall Street Journal. With the health care industry's purchasing power, "we can force suppliers to generate environmentally sensitive products."
A Brave New Model
Another example of health care using its buying clout to support health values is Catholic Healthcare West, the largest Catholic health system in the Western US. It pulled a $70 million contract from Baxter International, the nation's largest manufacturer of hospital products, after Baxter failed to develop PVC-free IV products. (The contract went to smaller manufacturer B. Braun.)
And last spring, Hospira, Inc., the nation's number-two supplier of hospital products, announced a new "next generation" IV product line that is not only PVC-free but also weighs 40-60 percent less than traditional containers, resulting in significant waste reduction.
From spurring the next generation of safer materials to serving up healthier food, more hospitals are taking an "ecological approach" to providing health care.
"As places of healing and well being, it's important that hospitals walk the talk and act as models for the community by serving healthier food that is grown and distributed in a more responsible way," says Lucia Sayre, program associate for San Francisco Bay Area Physicians for Social Responsibility, who is working with John Muir Health to buy meat from ranchers in a neighboring county. "There is a lot of enthusiasm out there for this type of work. This is only the beginning."
Hospitals are starting to recognize that the health of people is interconnected to the health of the surrounding community and larger environment.
"It's difficult to have healthy people on a sick planet," says Gary Cohen, co-founder of Health Care Without Harm, an international coalition working to reduce the environmental impact of the health care industry.
"The hospital of the 21st century can promote health and prevent disease. It can support the local economy and model the kind of environmentally responsible institutions every community should have. The hospital can situate itself in the broader ecology of its community and act as a healing force."
Event on Endometriosis in the European Parliament, 28 March 2007
The World Endometriosis Society organises an event in the European Parliament on the 28th March 2007 hosted by Ms Diana Wallis MEP.
The aim of the event is to call for more investment in causal research into endometriosis in order to improve diagnostics, therapeutics and ultimately prevent the disease for the next generation of women.
On the same day, the World Endometriosis Society will be announcing some new cost estimates and also launching the World Endometriosis Research Foundation formally: a joint initiative between the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the World Endometriosis Society (WES).
If you want to attend the event or would like to receive more information on this subject, please contact Ms Lone Hummelshoj, Secretary General of the World Endometriosis Society.
The aim of the event is to call for more investment in causal research into endometriosis in order to improve diagnostics, therapeutics and ultimately prevent the disease for the next generation of women.
On the same day, the World Endometriosis Society will be announcing some new cost estimates and also launching the World Endometriosis Research Foundation formally: a joint initiative between the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the World Endometriosis Society (WES).
If you want to attend the event or would like to receive more information on this subject, please contact Ms Lone Hummelshoj, Secretary General of the World Endometriosis Society.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Add your name to the Endometriosis quilt
Add your name and endometriosis story to the largest collection online (currently 8,131) The Endometriosis Quilt. This quilt demonstrates the global reach of endometriosis as a life-altering and crippling disease of women and a testament to the need for proper education to assist in a timely diagnosis.
Pine Bark Significantly Reduces Endometriosis, New Study Finds
There's promising hope for women who suffer from endometriosis, one of the most common causes of infertility and pelvic pain. A new study to be published in an upcoming edition of the Journal of Reproductive Medicine reveals that Pycnogenol (pic-noj-en-all), an antioxidant plant extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree, significantly reduces symptoms of endometriosis by 33 percent. Pycnogenol which holds a patent for reducing PMS/menstrual pain and discomfort, was chosen for this study because other endometriosis treatments can have unwanted side effects. "The cause of endometriosis is unknown and treatment to fully cure endometriosis has yet to be developed," said Dr. Takafumi Kohama, a lead researcher of the study. "Common hormone treatments such as gonadotropin-releasing hormone agents (Gn-RHa) may likely restrict women from becoming pregnant during treatment. Danazol, another hormone treatment, produces side effects such as ovarian deficiency, osteoporosis and obesity. Our results convey Pycnogenol as an extremely effective natural treatment without dangerous side effects," he said.
Repros widens fourth quarter loss
Repros Therapeutics Inc. on Wednesday reported a net loss for the fourth quarter, ended Dec. 31, of $5.4 million, or 54 cents loss per diluted share, on revenue of $110,000, compared with net loss of $2.3 million, or 22 cents loss per share, on revenue of $174,000 for the same period in 2005.
The Woodlands-based pharmaceutical company said the loss was due to increased spending in its clinical development programs and an increase in non-cash, stock option compensation expenses.
Analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected Repros (NASDAQ: RPRX) to post a net loss of 41 cents per share.
For the full year, the net loss was $14.2 million, or $1.40 loss per diluted share, on revenue of $596,000, compared with a net loss of $7.4 million, or 77 cents loss per share, on revenue of $634,000, in 2005.
In December, the company revealed that its endometriosis drug, Proellex, helped significantly reduce pain in female patients compared to current available treatment in a European Phase 2 clinical trial.
Read More
The Woodlands-based pharmaceutical company said the loss was due to increased spending in its clinical development programs and an increase in non-cash, stock option compensation expenses.
Analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected Repros (NASDAQ: RPRX) to post a net loss of 41 cents per share.
For the full year, the net loss was $14.2 million, or $1.40 loss per diluted share, on revenue of $596,000, compared with a net loss of $7.4 million, or 77 cents loss per share, on revenue of $634,000, in 2005.
In December, the company revealed that its endometriosis drug, Proellex, helped significantly reduce pain in female patients compared to current available treatment in a European Phase 2 clinical trial.
Read More
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Mothers Facing Pollution Risks Find Allies in the Religious Right
The religious right and environmentalists are teaming up to protect women and their babies from the dangers of exposure to pollution and toxic waste.
By Teresita Perez
March 12, 2007
Tuli Hughes's first three pregnancies ended in miscarriage. During her fourth pregnancy, she gave birth prematurely to a baby with a fatal birth defect who died a few minutes after being born. On her fifth try, Tuli again gave birth prematurely; the baby weighed about one pound and also died within minutes.
An explanation may be found in the environmental conditions in Tuli's neighborhood of Bayview-Hunters Point, which is home to San Francisco's main power and sewage treatment plants and the now-closed Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, a Superfund toxic waste site.
Bayview-Hunters Point, a low-income, predominantly African-American community in southeast San Francisco, has one of the highest infant mortality rates in California, comparable to rates in the developing world. Between 1992 and 2001, the area's infant mortality rate averaged 11.8 per 1,000 births, well above the national average of 6.8 per 1,000 and the average for San Francisco, which has the nation's lowest infant mortality rate among large cities. Recent studies also show that women in the community suffer from high rates of miscarriages and premature births, as well as breast and cervical cancer.
Low-income women of color like Tuli not only reside disproportionately around chemical dumps, power plants and other polluting facilities; they are also plagued by other socioeconomic handicaps such as lack of quality health care that exacerbate their reproductive health problems. These other handicaps undoubtedly contribute to the elevated reproductive health risks in areas like Bayview-Hunters Point, but they do not fully explain them. Research points to environmental contamination as a major part of the story.
Exposure to even small amounts of toxic chemicals during the early stages of pregnancy can lead to miscarriages and premature births, while prolonged exposure can cause infertility, endometriosis (a condition in which tissue that normally lines the uterus grows in other areas of the body), cervical cancer, and other reproductive complications. Children born to mothers exposed to toxic chemicals are also at greater risk of birth defects, learning disabilities, and other developmental illnesses. The Center for American Progress recently released a paper titled "More Than a Choice" that urges a broader conversation about reproductive health and rights -- one that goes beyond the narrow but dominant issue of abortion. As the paper indicates, a key part of this conversation must be providing a safe environment for healthy pregnancies and babies. The debate over abortion, while important, has tended to distract from this and other pressing issues of reproductive justice like access to quality health care and child care to the detriment of women and families across the country. Issues like these have the potential to create common ground even among those who have butted heads in the past. Indeed, a shared concern for healthy babies and families and a healthy environment has helped forge one of the unlikeliest partnerships Washington has seen in years: the religious right and the environmental community.
Conservative evangelical Christians have begun to press for stronger environmental protections to ensure the health of vulnerable communities. Much attention has been given to recent efforts by prominent evangelicals pressing for action on global warming. But some are also taking on mercury pollution as a threat to the "sanctity of life."
Mercury emissions from power plants contaminate coastlines, rivers, and lakes, and "bioaccumulate" in fish. Nearly all fish contain traces of mercury, but fish at or near the top of the food chain contain higher levels of mercury that may harm a fetus or young child's developing nervous system. Children born to women who eat mercury-contaminated fish are at a higher risk for a number of neurological disorders including mental retardation and learning disabilities.
Because of this risk, the Food and Drug Administration recently recommended that pregnant women and women who may become pregnant avoid eating certain types of fish, including king mackerel, tilefish, and tuna. Last year, the Environmental Quality Institute at the University of North Carolina-Asheville released the largest ever biomonitoring study of mercury in the United States, finding that a shocking 20 percent of women of childbearing age contain levels of mercury in their blood that exceed the Environmental Protection Agency's recommended limit.
Religious conservatives are starting to take note of this reproductive risk. At an anti-abortion-rights rally last year, evangelical leaders from the National Association of Evangelicals and the Evangelical Environmental Network actually carried a banner that read "Stop Mercury Poisoning of the Unborn" and distributed fliers that urged Christians to speak out against President Bush's Orwellian "Clear Skies Initiative."
"Clear Skies" purports to clamp down on mercury emissions and other air pollution, but in fact relaxes existing protections under the Clean Air Act. EPA's Children's Health Advisory Committee concluded that the plan "does not sufficiently protect our nation's children." Congress has failed to pass "Clear Skies" legislation, but the administration is putting in place major elements through regulation.
Other environmental problems must also be better understood and addressed as threats to reproductive health. Superfund toxic waste sites, for example, can poison drinking water, pollute the air, and contaminate the soil, potentially leading to reproductive complications. The community around the infamous Love Canal site, which spurred passage of the Superfund law in 1980, suffered extremely high rates of birth defects and miscarriages, eventually prompting the town's evacuation.
Alarmingly, Superfund cleanups have plummeted more than 50 percent during the Bush administration as compared to the Clinton administration. Instead of protecting at-risk communities, the administration and Congress have declined to reinstate Superfund's expired "polluter pays" corporate tax that previously generated $1.5 billion a year, leaving fewer resources available for cleanups.
As sites await cleanup, tens of thousands of women are exposed to chemicals that could cause reproductive complications. Presently, one in four Americans lives within three miles of one of the 1,244 Superfund sites awaiting cleanup, including approximately three to four million children who live with one mile of a site.
The Center for American Progress and the Center for Progressive Reform recently profiled the five most dangerous Superfund sites in each of the 10 most populous states. According to census data, more than 50,000 women of childbearing age (between 15 and 44) live within the census tracts containing these sites. Of these communities, a disproportionate number are, like Bayview-Hunters Point, low income and minority.
Environmental health is vital to the well-being of women, their babies, and their families. With the election of a new Congress, there is now an opportunity to broaden the agenda for reproductive health and rights in a way that captures growing public support across the political spectrum. A good place to start would be passing strong legislation to curb mercury emissions in place of the president's "Clear Skies" initiative and reinstating the corporate "polluter pays" tax to fund Superfund cleanups. For women like Tuli who want nothing more than a healthy baby, such improvements in environmental quality could make all the difference.
This article was originally published in AlterNet.org.
By Teresita Perez
March 12, 2007
Tuli Hughes's first three pregnancies ended in miscarriage. During her fourth pregnancy, she gave birth prematurely to a baby with a fatal birth defect who died a few minutes after being born. On her fifth try, Tuli again gave birth prematurely; the baby weighed about one pound and also died within minutes.
An explanation may be found in the environmental conditions in Tuli's neighborhood of Bayview-Hunters Point, which is home to San Francisco's main power and sewage treatment plants and the now-closed Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, a Superfund toxic waste site.
Bayview-Hunters Point, a low-income, predominantly African-American community in southeast San Francisco, has one of the highest infant mortality rates in California, comparable to rates in the developing world. Between 1992 and 2001, the area's infant mortality rate averaged 11.8 per 1,000 births, well above the national average of 6.8 per 1,000 and the average for San Francisco, which has the nation's lowest infant mortality rate among large cities. Recent studies also show that women in the community suffer from high rates of miscarriages and premature births, as well as breast and cervical cancer.
Low-income women of color like Tuli not only reside disproportionately around chemical dumps, power plants and other polluting facilities; they are also plagued by other socioeconomic handicaps such as lack of quality health care that exacerbate their reproductive health problems. These other handicaps undoubtedly contribute to the elevated reproductive health risks in areas like Bayview-Hunters Point, but they do not fully explain them. Research points to environmental contamination as a major part of the story.
Exposure to even small amounts of toxic chemicals during the early stages of pregnancy can lead to miscarriages and premature births, while prolonged exposure can cause infertility, endometriosis (a condition in which tissue that normally lines the uterus grows in other areas of the body), cervical cancer, and other reproductive complications. Children born to mothers exposed to toxic chemicals are also at greater risk of birth defects, learning disabilities, and other developmental illnesses. The Center for American Progress recently released a paper titled "More Than a Choice" that urges a broader conversation about reproductive health and rights -- one that goes beyond the narrow but dominant issue of abortion. As the paper indicates, a key part of this conversation must be providing a safe environment for healthy pregnancies and babies. The debate over abortion, while important, has tended to distract from this and other pressing issues of reproductive justice like access to quality health care and child care to the detriment of women and families across the country. Issues like these have the potential to create common ground even among those who have butted heads in the past. Indeed, a shared concern for healthy babies and families and a healthy environment has helped forge one of the unlikeliest partnerships Washington has seen in years: the religious right and the environmental community.
Conservative evangelical Christians have begun to press for stronger environmental protections to ensure the health of vulnerable communities. Much attention has been given to recent efforts by prominent evangelicals pressing for action on global warming. But some are also taking on mercury pollution as a threat to the "sanctity of life."
Mercury emissions from power plants contaminate coastlines, rivers, and lakes, and "bioaccumulate" in fish. Nearly all fish contain traces of mercury, but fish at or near the top of the food chain contain higher levels of mercury that may harm a fetus or young child's developing nervous system. Children born to women who eat mercury-contaminated fish are at a higher risk for a number of neurological disorders including mental retardation and learning disabilities.
Because of this risk, the Food and Drug Administration recently recommended that pregnant women and women who may become pregnant avoid eating certain types of fish, including king mackerel, tilefish, and tuna. Last year, the Environmental Quality Institute at the University of North Carolina-Asheville released the largest ever biomonitoring study of mercury in the United States, finding that a shocking 20 percent of women of childbearing age contain levels of mercury in their blood that exceed the Environmental Protection Agency's recommended limit.
Religious conservatives are starting to take note of this reproductive risk. At an anti-abortion-rights rally last year, evangelical leaders from the National Association of Evangelicals and the Evangelical Environmental Network actually carried a banner that read "Stop Mercury Poisoning of the Unborn" and distributed fliers that urged Christians to speak out against President Bush's Orwellian "Clear Skies Initiative."
"Clear Skies" purports to clamp down on mercury emissions and other air pollution, but in fact relaxes existing protections under the Clean Air Act. EPA's Children's Health Advisory Committee concluded that the plan "does not sufficiently protect our nation's children." Congress has failed to pass "Clear Skies" legislation, but the administration is putting in place major elements through regulation.
Other environmental problems must also be better understood and addressed as threats to reproductive health. Superfund toxic waste sites, for example, can poison drinking water, pollute the air, and contaminate the soil, potentially leading to reproductive complications. The community around the infamous Love Canal site, which spurred passage of the Superfund law in 1980, suffered extremely high rates of birth defects and miscarriages, eventually prompting the town's evacuation.
Alarmingly, Superfund cleanups have plummeted more than 50 percent during the Bush administration as compared to the Clinton administration. Instead of protecting at-risk communities, the administration and Congress have declined to reinstate Superfund's expired "polluter pays" corporate tax that previously generated $1.5 billion a year, leaving fewer resources available for cleanups.
As sites await cleanup, tens of thousands of women are exposed to chemicals that could cause reproductive complications. Presently, one in four Americans lives within three miles of one of the 1,244 Superfund sites awaiting cleanup, including approximately three to four million children who live with one mile of a site.
The Center for American Progress and the Center for Progressive Reform recently profiled the five most dangerous Superfund sites in each of the 10 most populous states. According to census data, more than 50,000 women of childbearing age (between 15 and 44) live within the census tracts containing these sites. Of these communities, a disproportionate number are, like Bayview-Hunters Point, low income and minority.
Environmental health is vital to the well-being of women, their babies, and their families. With the election of a new Congress, there is now an opportunity to broaden the agenda for reproductive health and rights in a way that captures growing public support across the political spectrum. A good place to start would be passing strong legislation to curb mercury emissions in place of the president's "Clear Skies" initiative and reinstating the corporate "polluter pays" tax to fund Superfund cleanups. For women like Tuli who want nothing more than a healthy baby, such improvements in environmental quality could make all the difference.
This article was originally published in AlterNet.org.
Friday, March 09, 2007
Endometriosis Clinical Trials ~ ClinicalTrials.gov
17 studies were found.
1.
Not yet recruiting
The Immune Base of EndometriosisCondition: Endometriosis
2.
Recruiting
Effects of Endometriosis on Bone Mineral DensityCondition: Endometriosis
3.
Recruiting
Pelvic Pain in Women With EndometriosisConditions: Endometriosis; Pelvic Pain; Healthy; Tubal Ligation
4.
Recruiting
Medical Treatment of Endometriosis-Associated Pelvic PainConditions: Endometriosis; Pelvic Pain
5.
Recruiting
Effect of Rosiglitazone on Peritoneal Cytokines in Women With EndometriosisCondition: Endometriosis
6.
Recruiting
Use of Rosiglitazone in the Treatment of EndometriosisCondition: Endometriosis
7.
Recruiting
A Multinational, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo‑Controlled, Parallel Group Study to Investigate the Efficacy, Safety and Duration of Effect of a Single Administration of Various Doses of Cetrorelix SR in Subjects With Histologically Confirmed EndometriosisCondition: Endometriosis
8.
Recruiting
Evaluation of DR-2001 for the Management of Endometriosis-Related Pelvic PainCondition: Endometriosis
9.
Recruiting
Safety and Efficacy Study of NBI-56418 in EndometriosisCondition: Endometriosis
10.
Recruiting
Use of Arimidex and Zoladex as Pretreatment to IVF in Women With Ovarian EndometriosisCondition: Endometriosis
11.
Recruiting
Evaluation of Endometrial Stromal Cell Apoptosis in AdenomyosisCondition: Endometriosis
12.
Recruiting
Progestin Treatment for Endometrial Stromal Cells in AdenomyosisCondition: Endometriosis
13.
Recruiting
'SPRING'-Study: "Subfertility Guidelines: Patient Related Implementation in the Netherlands Among Gynaecologists"Conditions: Male Infertility; Female Infertility; Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome; Premature Ovarian Failure; Endometriosis
14.
Recruiting
Health-Related QoL Among Women Receiving Hysterectomy in NTUHConditions: Leiomyoma; Adenomyosis
15.
Recruiting
Uterine Artery Embolization for Symptomatic FibroidsConditions: Uterine Fibroids; Menorrhagia; Adenomyosis
16.
Recruiting
Treatment of Uterine Fibroids With the Selective Progesterone Receptor Modulator CDB-2914Conditions: Leiomyomata; Uterine Leiomyomata; Fibroids
17.
Not yet recruiting
PTEN and IGFBP-3 Correlation in Ovarian Carcinoma Invasion
1.
Not yet recruiting
The Immune Base of EndometriosisCondition: Endometriosis
2.
Recruiting
Effects of Endometriosis on Bone Mineral DensityCondition: Endometriosis
3.
Recruiting
Pelvic Pain in Women With EndometriosisConditions: Endometriosis; Pelvic Pain; Healthy; Tubal Ligation
4.
Recruiting
Medical Treatment of Endometriosis-Associated Pelvic PainConditions: Endometriosis; Pelvic Pain
5.
Recruiting
Effect of Rosiglitazone on Peritoneal Cytokines in Women With EndometriosisCondition: Endometriosis
6.
Recruiting
Use of Rosiglitazone in the Treatment of EndometriosisCondition: Endometriosis
7.
Recruiting
A Multinational, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo‑Controlled, Parallel Group Study to Investigate the Efficacy, Safety and Duration of Effect of a Single Administration of Various Doses of Cetrorelix SR in Subjects With Histologically Confirmed EndometriosisCondition: Endometriosis
8.
Recruiting
Evaluation of DR-2001 for the Management of Endometriosis-Related Pelvic PainCondition: Endometriosis
9.
Recruiting
Safety and Efficacy Study of NBI-56418 in EndometriosisCondition: Endometriosis
10.
Recruiting
Use of Arimidex and Zoladex as Pretreatment to IVF in Women With Ovarian EndometriosisCondition: Endometriosis
11.
Recruiting
Evaluation of Endometrial Stromal Cell Apoptosis in AdenomyosisCondition: Endometriosis
12.
Recruiting
Progestin Treatment for Endometrial Stromal Cells in AdenomyosisCondition: Endometriosis
13.
Recruiting
'SPRING'-Study: "Subfertility Guidelines: Patient Related Implementation in the Netherlands Among Gynaecologists"Conditions: Male Infertility; Female Infertility; Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome; Premature Ovarian Failure; Endometriosis
14.
Recruiting
Health-Related QoL Among Women Receiving Hysterectomy in NTUHConditions: Leiomyoma; Adenomyosis
15.
Recruiting
Uterine Artery Embolization for Symptomatic FibroidsConditions: Uterine Fibroids; Menorrhagia; Adenomyosis
16.
Recruiting
Treatment of Uterine Fibroids With the Selective Progesterone Receptor Modulator CDB-2914Conditions: Leiomyomata; Uterine Leiomyomata; Fibroids
17.
Not yet recruiting
PTEN and IGFBP-3 Correlation in Ovarian Carcinoma Invasion
Endo the line
INTRICATE and complex, the human body seems to love nothing more than confusing us with its health-related antics.
Endometriosis, a painful and often debilitating condition that affects women’s reproductive systems, is a case in point. Frequently sufferers think that what they are experiencing - such as painful, heavy, or irregular periods, pain during or after sex, fatigue and problems on opening the bowels - is due to something else entirely.
In fact, the latest figures from Endometriosis UK reveal that, on average, a staggering eight years go by before a diagnosis is made.
Endometriosis is the term used to describe the condition where cells, like the ones in the lining of the womb (uterus), are found elsewhere in the body.
Inflammation
Stimulated to grow every month by hormones, these cells eventually break down and bleed in a similar way to the normal ones that leave the body during menstruation. Unlike a period, however, endometriosis has no way of escaping, which means the internal bleeding gets trapped, causing inflammation, pain and the formation of scar tissue (adhesions). Endometrial tissue can also be found in the ovary, where it can form what doctors call 'chocolate cysts', because of their appearance.
The causes of the condition are not fully understood, although several theories exist, one of which is that endometriosis is passed down through the generations. Scientists worldwide are looking into this as we speak, investigating possible genetic links between family members. There’s also a suggestion that endometriosis might come about due to a weakened immune system or because of environmental toxins, such as dioxin.
Another possibility is that endometriosis tissue particles somehow travel round the body through the lymphatic system or in the bloodstream.
You’d be forgiven for thinking that the more endometriosis a person has, the greater their pain and discomfort, but this isn’t always the way. It’s not so much the severity of the condition that has an impact, rather whereabouts inside the body the the endometriosis is actually growing.
Endometriosis has even been discovered in areas such as the eyes and brain, as well as in some men who have undergone drug treatments involving exposure to oestrogen. Although the condition is as yet incurable, there are several treatments available which tend to focus on reducing the severity of symptoms and improving quality of life.
Most methods of treatment reduce or stop the body’s natural production of oestrogen, because it is this hormone that causes endometriosis to keep growing and bleeding. The drugs create either an artificial state of pregnancy or of menopause, although this is reversed when the patient stops taking them.
Diet
A healthy, balanced diet benefits everyone and helps increase overall vitality and well-being, so if you have endometriosis it’s well worth taking a closer look at what you eat, perhaps keeping a food diary to help, to see if nutrition can be improved.
Eating well and exercising will make your body fitter and your immune system stronger, not only increasing your energy levels but also your tolerance to medical treatments and your ability to deal with any side-effects. It should also help regulate bowel movements, regulate sleep patterns and make it easier to think clearly.
Those suffering with endometriosis can often feel isolated and alone, all too often far too afraid or embarrassed to talk to someone about what they’re going through. But it’s important to seek support from friends and family, not to mention medical professionals. Remember that your GP will have seen many cases like yours before.
You can also call Endometriosis UK’s helpline on 0808 808 2227, or log onto their website at www.endo.org.uk for a list of support groups in your area.
Having endometriosis may not be plain sailing but it doesn’t have to spell complete disaster.
Source
Endometriosis, a painful and often debilitating condition that affects women’s reproductive systems, is a case in point. Frequently sufferers think that what they are experiencing - such as painful, heavy, or irregular periods, pain during or after sex, fatigue and problems on opening the bowels - is due to something else entirely.
In fact, the latest figures from Endometriosis UK reveal that, on average, a staggering eight years go by before a diagnosis is made.
Endometriosis is the term used to describe the condition where cells, like the ones in the lining of the womb (uterus), are found elsewhere in the body.
Inflammation
Stimulated to grow every month by hormones, these cells eventually break down and bleed in a similar way to the normal ones that leave the body during menstruation. Unlike a period, however, endometriosis has no way of escaping, which means the internal bleeding gets trapped, causing inflammation, pain and the formation of scar tissue (adhesions). Endometrial tissue can also be found in the ovary, where it can form what doctors call 'chocolate cysts', because of their appearance.
The causes of the condition are not fully understood, although several theories exist, one of which is that endometriosis is passed down through the generations. Scientists worldwide are looking into this as we speak, investigating possible genetic links between family members. There’s also a suggestion that endometriosis might come about due to a weakened immune system or because of environmental toxins, such as dioxin.
Another possibility is that endometriosis tissue particles somehow travel round the body through the lymphatic system or in the bloodstream.
You’d be forgiven for thinking that the more endometriosis a person has, the greater their pain and discomfort, but this isn’t always the way. It’s not so much the severity of the condition that has an impact, rather whereabouts inside the body the the endometriosis is actually growing.
Endometriosis has even been discovered in areas such as the eyes and brain, as well as in some men who have undergone drug treatments involving exposure to oestrogen. Although the condition is as yet incurable, there are several treatments available which tend to focus on reducing the severity of symptoms and improving quality of life.
Most methods of treatment reduce or stop the body’s natural production of oestrogen, because it is this hormone that causes endometriosis to keep growing and bleeding. The drugs create either an artificial state of pregnancy or of menopause, although this is reversed when the patient stops taking them.
Diet
A healthy, balanced diet benefits everyone and helps increase overall vitality and well-being, so if you have endometriosis it’s well worth taking a closer look at what you eat, perhaps keeping a food diary to help, to see if nutrition can be improved.
Eating well and exercising will make your body fitter and your immune system stronger, not only increasing your energy levels but also your tolerance to medical treatments and your ability to deal with any side-effects. It should also help regulate bowel movements, regulate sleep patterns and make it easier to think clearly.
Those suffering with endometriosis can often feel isolated and alone, all too often far too afraid or embarrassed to talk to someone about what they’re going through. But it’s important to seek support from friends and family, not to mention medical professionals. Remember that your GP will have seen many cases like yours before.
You can also call Endometriosis UK’s helpline on 0808 808 2227, or log onto their website at www.endo.org.uk for a list of support groups in your area.
Having endometriosis may not be plain sailing but it doesn’t have to spell complete disaster.
Source
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Endometriosis clinic opened in Canberra
A new clinic for the treatment of endometriosis has been opened at Canberra Hospital.
The clinic will be housed in the hospital's gynaecology department and staffed by specialist surgeons and nurses.
ACT health minister Katy Gallagher said links were also being developed with other health professionals.
“We are developing links with other health professionals such as physiotherapists, chronic pain management, fertility specialists, psychologists and complimentary therapists," she said.
The health minister said a recent study of 16 to 18 year old girls in the ACT found that 26 percent regularly took one to two days off school each month to cope with their menstrual pain.
"Apart from the possibility of significant underachievement at school, a large percentage of these young women will have endometriosis," Ms Gallagher said.
"When they are finally given a diagnosis most women actually feel very relieved that they have a reason for their symptoms, as many have come to believe they are going mad and that it was all ‘in their head’.”
Endometriosis is a condition that affects roughly 10 percent of women, where the cells lining the uterus come to lie outside it, causing painful periods and infertility.
Source
The clinic will be housed in the hospital's gynaecology department and staffed by specialist surgeons and nurses.
ACT health minister Katy Gallagher said links were also being developed with other health professionals.
“We are developing links with other health professionals such as physiotherapists, chronic pain management, fertility specialists, psychologists and complimentary therapists," she said.
The health minister said a recent study of 16 to 18 year old girls in the ACT found that 26 percent regularly took one to two days off school each month to cope with their menstrual pain.
"Apart from the possibility of significant underachievement at school, a large percentage of these young women will have endometriosis," Ms Gallagher said.
"When they are finally given a diagnosis most women actually feel very relieved that they have a reason for their symptoms, as many have come to believe they are going mad and that it was all ‘in their head’.”
Endometriosis is a condition that affects roughly 10 percent of women, where the cells lining the uterus come to lie outside it, causing painful periods and infertility.
Source
New Endometriosis Website Adds 'Lung Endometriosis in Girls' Section by Globally Acclaimed Author Dr. Glynis Wallace:
Los Angeles, CA (PRWeb) March 8, 2007 -- Girls suffering with severe menstrual cramps, chest pain, and shortness of breath may be experiencing the early signs of endometriosis, yet go undiagnosed, alerts Glynis D. Wallace, DMD, author of the globally acclaimed book "Living with Lung and Colon Endometriosis: Catamenial Pneumothorax," and the founder of the new website www.catamenialphenomothorax.org. The common test found to be abnormal in girls diagnosed with lung endometriosis is described at http://catamenialpneumothorax.org/Lung_Endometriosis_in_Girls.html.In honor of National Endometriosis Month, Dr. Wallace invites visitors to "Lets Talk about Endometriosis" at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9pOi2I-9rM. Dr. Wallace, a former USAF Major and a graduate of Tuffs University School of Dental Medicine, says, "The early signs of endometriosis can be traced to the teenage years in at least two-thirds of the five million US women suffering from this disease, and their symptoms grow progressively worse with time. Unfortunately, many of these young girls go undiagnosed or under diagnosed because it can be a tough disease to understand." She adds, "What worries me the most is that young women's painful cramps are sometimes dismissed by well meaning parents and physicians as something that 'she'll just have to live with, get used to, and deal with.' Instead, this might be an early warning sign of a disease that will not simply go away with time, a heating pad, or over the counter pain medicines." Dr. Wallace urges parents of girls experiencing consistent severe cramps, and other symptoms monthly to take their daughters' for a physician consult. Diagnosing endometriosis early is an important first step in helping "prevent" endometriosis sufferers from experiencing a life of monthly pain, discomfort and even some life threatening symptoms. "Living With Lung and Colon Endometriosis: Catamenial Pneumothorax," outlines Dr. Wallace's 13-year experience with pulmonary endometriosis through narrative summaries from the physicians who attempted to control this disease. As an active duty military officer, she underwent extensive and extremely thorough diagnostic tests to determine fitness for duty. This led to excellent medical treatment, which allowed her to continue serving on active duty. Endometriosis is an abnormal growth of tissue in the pelvic area and can travel through the body attaching to organs in its path. It has many undefined symptomatic presentations. The symptoms may include back pain, chest pain, shortness of breath, pressure, bloating, constipation, seizures, fatigue, and consistently painful menstrual cramps. While the mean age at diagnosis is around 25-30 years, endometriosis has been reported in girls as young as 11 years of age.View blog at http://blog.catamenialpneumothorax.org. Dr. Wallace last month launched the website www.catamenialpneumothorax.org to spearhead quicker, easier, and more widespread global diagnosis, and subsequent treatment regimes. For media inquiries, please contact Peggy C. Frank, MBA, Frank Public Relations Worldwide, 818-735-3591, www.frankpr.com.About CatamenialPneumothorax.orgThe tremendous worldwide interest in Dr. Wallace's book "Living With Lung and Colon Endometriosis: Catamenial Pneumothorax," demonstrated the need for a call to action. Catamenial Pneumothorax.org serves to alert the global health care community to the prevalence, hardship, and treatment options that can make Catamenial Pneumothorax/Lung and Colon Endometriosis, well known and understood among a cross section of medical specialties. The goal of the website and Dr. Wallace's efforts is to spearhead quicker, easier, and more widespread global diagnosis, and subsequent treatment regimes. http://catamenialpneumothorax.org.# # #
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Patients find support, friends at Endo Inn
SAN LORENZO — Sylvia Mireles looks healthy. And indeed, she is feeling much better since she underwent a surgery last week to remove the endometriosis that was spread throughout her abdomen.
Since then, Mireles has rested at the Endo Inn, the cozy home of endometriosis survivor and advocate Peggy Santa Maria and her husband, Roy. Mireles is the Endo Inn's 70th guest since it opened in October 1999 under the motto — thought up by Roy — "Stay at the Endo Inn while you are getting your endo taken out."
After searching for more than a year, Mireles, a Los Angeles resident, found a doctor at Stanford hospital in Palo Alto to perform the surgery. Though scheduled for three hours, it lasted four and removed 80 percent of the disease, so Mireles will return for more surgery in two months.
Mireles found the Santa Marias through the Endometriosis Association, with which she helped start a chapter in Los Angeles, just a month ago. While Mireles researched information about endometriosis online, she craved personal connection.
"I need to see and read faces to feel support," she said.
According to the Endometriosis Association, endometriosis is a painful, chronic disease that affects 51/2 million women and girls in the U.S. and Canada. It occurs when tissue like that which lines the uterus is found outside the uterus. This misplaced tissue develops into growths that respond to the menstrual cycle in the same way the uterine lining does, but cause
internal bleeding and inflammation because it has no way of leaving the body. It commonly causes infertility, bowel problems and often occurs with other diseases like celiac, a gluten intolerance.
The guest bedroom at Endo Inn is filled with books about healing and pictures of the Santa Marias' two Dalmatians. Rather than stay in a hotel, Mireles stays here for free, takes walks in the neighborhood and keeps her own food in the kitchen.
"Peggy and Roy have been very warm, understanding and casual. They have open hearts," she said. "They really walk the talk."
Peggy Santa Maria was president of the San Francisco Endometriosis chapter for 10 years and answered crisis calls for eight years. She knows well how painful the disease can be. She experienced it starting the first day of her period, 38 years ago. By the time she was 28, she had had 11 surgeries, including a hysterectomy.
More
Since then, Mireles has rested at the Endo Inn, the cozy home of endometriosis survivor and advocate Peggy Santa Maria and her husband, Roy. Mireles is the Endo Inn's 70th guest since it opened in October 1999 under the motto — thought up by Roy — "Stay at the Endo Inn while you are getting your endo taken out."
After searching for more than a year, Mireles, a Los Angeles resident, found a doctor at Stanford hospital in Palo Alto to perform the surgery. Though scheduled for three hours, it lasted four and removed 80 percent of the disease, so Mireles will return for more surgery in two months.
Mireles found the Santa Marias through the Endometriosis Association, with which she helped start a chapter in Los Angeles, just a month ago. While Mireles researched information about endometriosis online, she craved personal connection.
"I need to see and read faces to feel support," she said.
According to the Endometriosis Association, endometriosis is a painful, chronic disease that affects 51/2 million women and girls in the U.S. and Canada. It occurs when tissue like that which lines the uterus is found outside the uterus. This misplaced tissue develops into growths that respond to the menstrual cycle in the same way the uterine lining does, but cause
internal bleeding and inflammation because it has no way of leaving the body. It commonly causes infertility, bowel problems and often occurs with other diseases like celiac, a gluten intolerance.
The guest bedroom at Endo Inn is filled with books about healing and pictures of the Santa Marias' two Dalmatians. Rather than stay in a hotel, Mireles stays here for free, takes walks in the neighborhood and keeps her own food in the kitchen.
"Peggy and Roy have been very warm, understanding and casual. They have open hearts," she said. "They really walk the talk."
Peggy Santa Maria was president of the San Francisco Endometriosis chapter for 10 years and answered crisis calls for eight years. She knows well how painful the disease can be. She experienced it starting the first day of her period, 38 years ago. By the time she was 28, she had had 11 surgeries, including a hysterectomy.
More
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Scandal of 2m women left to suffer
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
The diagnosis of a crippling gynaecological condition which affects 2million British women must be speeded up, a charity has urged.
It takes an average of eight years to diagnose endometriosis, which can have a devastating effect on a sufferer's quality of life.
The condition is stagnating in 'misdiagnosis, ignorance and misunderstanding', according to charity Endometriosis UK.
It occurs when cells similar to those in the womb lining are found outside it, creating painful inflammation, adhesions and cysts.
What causes it is still unclear.
Endometriosis can affect women at any age and symptoms include severe pain, infertility, pain during sexual intercourse, bowel and bladder problems and exhaustion.
The charity has written to all 212 hospital trusts and health boards asking them to participate in a survey of the current healthcare provision for women with the condition.
To date, 79 have replied and the provisional results showed just one in seven gynaecology departments runs clinics specifically for endometriosis.
The charity is hoping it will find out if the clinics need to be spread more evenly around the country.
Robert Music, the charity's chief executive, said doctors should consider the incurable condition when diagnosing patients with matching symptoms.
He said: 'The symptoms are varied and can sometimes be indicative of other conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, pelvic pain, fibroids and pelvic inflammatory disease.
'The similarities – plus the fact that women can find it difficult to discuss their symptoms with their GP – make diagnosis difficult and often delayed.'
The survey results have been released as part of Endometriosis Week, along with a hardhitting poster campaign aimed at raising awareness among younger women.
The charity is also calling on employers to be more aware of the condition as it costs British business £2.8billion a year in days lost through sick leave.
Source
http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=40097&in_page_id=34
The diagnosis of a crippling gynaecological condition which affects 2million British women must be speeded up, a charity has urged.
It takes an average of eight years to diagnose endometriosis, which can have a devastating effect on a sufferer's quality of life.
The condition is stagnating in 'misdiagnosis, ignorance and misunderstanding', according to charity Endometriosis UK.
It occurs when cells similar to those in the womb lining are found outside it, creating painful inflammation, adhesions and cysts.
What causes it is still unclear.
Endometriosis can affect women at any age and symptoms include severe pain, infertility, pain during sexual intercourse, bowel and bladder problems and exhaustion.
The charity has written to all 212 hospital trusts and health boards asking them to participate in a survey of the current healthcare provision for women with the condition.
To date, 79 have replied and the provisional results showed just one in seven gynaecology departments runs clinics specifically for endometriosis.
The charity is hoping it will find out if the clinics need to be spread more evenly around the country.
Robert Music, the charity's chief executive, said doctors should consider the incurable condition when diagnosing patients with matching symptoms.
He said: 'The symptoms are varied and can sometimes be indicative of other conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, pelvic pain, fibroids and pelvic inflammatory disease.
'The similarities – plus the fact that women can find it difficult to discuss their symptoms with their GP – make diagnosis difficult and often delayed.'
The survey results have been released as part of Endometriosis Week, along with a hardhitting poster campaign aimed at raising awareness among younger women.
The charity is also calling on employers to be more aware of the condition as it costs British business £2.8billion a year in days lost through sick leave.
Source
http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=40097&in_page_id=34
March is Endometriosis Awareness Month ~ Thursday Thirteen
Thursday Thirteen
In Europe, March 5-11 is Endometriosis Awareness Week. In North America, the month of March is Endometriosis Awareness Month.
Here are 13 facts about this terrible disease.
Endometriosis is a painful, chronic disease that affects 5 1/2 million women and girls in the USA and Canada, and millions more worldwide.
Endometriosis occurs when tissue like that which lines the uterus (tissue called the endometrium) is found outside the uterus - usually in the abdomen on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and ligaments that support the uterus; the area between the vagina and rectum; the outer surface of the uterus; and the lining of the pelvic cavity. Other sites for these endometrial growths may include the bladder, bowel, vagina, cervix, vulva, and in abdominal surgical scars. Less commonly they are found in the lung, arm, thigh, and other locations.
This misplaced tissue develops into growths or lesions which respond to the menstrual cycle in the same way that the tissue of the uterine lining does: each month the tissue builds up, breaks down, and sheds. Menstrual blood flows from the uterus and out of the body through the vagina, but the blood and tissue shed from endometrial growths has no way of leaving the body.
This results in internal bleeding, breakdown of the blood and tissue from the lesions, and inflammation - and can cause pain, infertility, scar tissue formation, adhesions, and bowel problems.
Symptoms of endometriosis include pain before and during periods, pain during intercourse, infertility, fatigue, painful urination during periods, painful bowel movements during periods, and other gastrointestinal upsets.
The only way to diagnose endometriosis is through laparoscopy, a surgical procedure done under anesthesia. A laparoscopy usually shows the location, size, and extent of the growths. This helps the doctor and patient make better treatment choices. Ultrasound CANNOT diagnose endometriosis.
Laparoscopy is also used to treat endometriosis. With the use of scissors, cautery, lasers, hydrodissection, or a sonic scalpel, endometriotic tissue can be ablated or removed in an attempt to restore normal anatomy. Unfortunately, endometriosis lesions frequently regrow after surgery, resulting in the return of pain and other symptoms.
The cause of endometriosis is unknown.
There is no cure for endometriosis.
Hysterectomy is not a cure. Many women experience a recurrence of endometriosis and/or its symptoms after hysterectomy.
Pregnancy is not a cure. Some women find that their pain symptoms are reduced during pregnancy, but this is not the case for everyone. In most cases, endometriosis symptoms return after giving birth and stopping breast feeding.
Women with endometriosis are at greater risk for several other diseases, including autoimmune diseases and hypothyroidism.
Although there is no cure for endometriosis, a variety of treatment options exist. These include pain medication, hormonal therapy, surgery, and alternative treatments. These treatments seek to manage the pain and minimize the other symptoms associated with endometriosis.
I, personally, have had two laparoscopies for endometriosis. During my first surgery, the endometriosis lesions were cauterized, and I experienced pain relief for about a year, before the pain slowly starting back again, gradually increasing. For my second laparoscopy, my surgeon used laser excision. I have had a return of pain during periods after this surgery as well, but as I only have four periods a year, it is manageable. I am, however, unable to function for two days every time I have a period, because I am in so much pain (even with prescription painkillers).To learn more about endometriosis, visit The Endometriosis Association.
Blog Source
In Europe, March 5-11 is Endometriosis Awareness Week. In North America, the month of March is Endometriosis Awareness Month.
Here are 13 facts about this terrible disease.
Endometriosis is a painful, chronic disease that affects 5 1/2 million women and girls in the USA and Canada, and millions more worldwide.
Endometriosis occurs when tissue like that which lines the uterus (tissue called the endometrium) is found outside the uterus - usually in the abdomen on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and ligaments that support the uterus; the area between the vagina and rectum; the outer surface of the uterus; and the lining of the pelvic cavity. Other sites for these endometrial growths may include the bladder, bowel, vagina, cervix, vulva, and in abdominal surgical scars. Less commonly they are found in the lung, arm, thigh, and other locations.
This misplaced tissue develops into growths or lesions which respond to the menstrual cycle in the same way that the tissue of the uterine lining does: each month the tissue builds up, breaks down, and sheds. Menstrual blood flows from the uterus and out of the body through the vagina, but the blood and tissue shed from endometrial growths has no way of leaving the body.
This results in internal bleeding, breakdown of the blood and tissue from the lesions, and inflammation - and can cause pain, infertility, scar tissue formation, adhesions, and bowel problems.
Symptoms of endometriosis include pain before and during periods, pain during intercourse, infertility, fatigue, painful urination during periods, painful bowel movements during periods, and other gastrointestinal upsets.
The only way to diagnose endometriosis is through laparoscopy, a surgical procedure done under anesthesia. A laparoscopy usually shows the location, size, and extent of the growths. This helps the doctor and patient make better treatment choices. Ultrasound CANNOT diagnose endometriosis.
Laparoscopy is also used to treat endometriosis. With the use of scissors, cautery, lasers, hydrodissection, or a sonic scalpel, endometriotic tissue can be ablated or removed in an attempt to restore normal anatomy. Unfortunately, endometriosis lesions frequently regrow after surgery, resulting in the return of pain and other symptoms.
The cause of endometriosis is unknown.
There is no cure for endometriosis.
Hysterectomy is not a cure. Many women experience a recurrence of endometriosis and/or its symptoms after hysterectomy.
Pregnancy is not a cure. Some women find that their pain symptoms are reduced during pregnancy, but this is not the case for everyone. In most cases, endometriosis symptoms return after giving birth and stopping breast feeding.
Women with endometriosis are at greater risk for several other diseases, including autoimmune diseases and hypothyroidism.
Although there is no cure for endometriosis, a variety of treatment options exist. These include pain medication, hormonal therapy, surgery, and alternative treatments. These treatments seek to manage the pain and minimize the other symptoms associated with endometriosis.
I, personally, have had two laparoscopies for endometriosis. During my first surgery, the endometriosis lesions were cauterized, and I experienced pain relief for about a year, before the pain slowly starting back again, gradually increasing. For my second laparoscopy, my surgeon used laser excision. I have had a return of pain during periods after this surgery as well, but as I only have four periods a year, it is manageable. I am, however, unable to function for two days every time I have a period, because I am in so much pain (even with prescription painkillers).To learn more about endometriosis, visit The Endometriosis Association.
Blog Source
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Coping with pain from rogue cells
Mar 5 2007
By Jane Picken, The Evening Chronicle
It's a common condition and can cause infertility, but many of us know little about Endometriosis. With an awareness week about the illness starting today, health reporter Jane Picken finds out more.
Mum Lisa Miller is just one of an estimated two million women across the country whose lives are blighted by a condition few have even heard of before their doctors give the diagnosis.
Before she was diagnosed in 1997, Lisa suffered crippling abdominal pains every month, as the illness caused rogue plaques, or cells to form outside her womb, in her pelvic cavity and on her spine.
"I just thought it was something I would have to deal with," remembered Lisa, from Ferryhill, County Durham.
"I was also quite embarrassed about it. When I was younger I heard so many people saying I should accept the pain because it was part of being a woman."
Heavy periods, severe abdominal pain, depression and inability to conceive are just some of the symptoms of Endometriosis, which causes cells that should only be found in the lining of the uterus to be found in other areas of the body, including the bladder and fallopian tubes.
These cells behave in the same way as those lining the womb, so in response to the female hormones, they grow during the menstrual cycle and bleed during a period.
There is no known cure, but treatments can suppress the illness and Lisa, 36, had a second laparoscopy two years ago - an operation to probe the illness and remove some of the troublesome cells.
"After that operation I still couldn't get the pain under control so I went to different doctors who now believe the Endometriosis is on my spine," explained Lisa, who is now taking painkillers and hormone drugs to ease the symptoms.
Read More
By Jane Picken, The Evening Chronicle
It's a common condition and can cause infertility, but many of us know little about Endometriosis. With an awareness week about the illness starting today, health reporter Jane Picken finds out more.
Mum Lisa Miller is just one of an estimated two million women across the country whose lives are blighted by a condition few have even heard of before their doctors give the diagnosis.
Before she was diagnosed in 1997, Lisa suffered crippling abdominal pains every month, as the illness caused rogue plaques, or cells to form outside her womb, in her pelvic cavity and on her spine.
"I just thought it was something I would have to deal with," remembered Lisa, from Ferryhill, County Durham.
"I was also quite embarrassed about it. When I was younger I heard so many people saying I should accept the pain because it was part of being a woman."
Heavy periods, severe abdominal pain, depression and inability to conceive are just some of the symptoms of Endometriosis, which causes cells that should only be found in the lining of the uterus to be found in other areas of the body, including the bladder and fallopian tubes.
These cells behave in the same way as those lining the womb, so in response to the female hormones, they grow during the menstrual cycle and bleed during a period.
There is no known cure, but treatments can suppress the illness and Lisa, 36, had a second laparoscopy two years ago - an operation to probe the illness and remove some of the troublesome cells.
"After that operation I still couldn't get the pain under control so I went to different doctors who now believe the Endometriosis is on my spine," explained Lisa, who is now taking painkillers and hormone drugs to ease the symptoms.
Read More
Female fertility: Between endometriosis and PCOS (3)
Dr. Abayomi Ajayi, Nordica Fertility Center, Lagos
While endometriosis has been reported in about 30 percent of infertile women, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is the most common cause of lack of ovulation and certainly a leading cause of female infertility. Statistically, it would seem possible that some women would have both conditions and, in this environment, this is probably the case.
Both of these disorders appear to have a genetic predisposition. However, whether endometriosis is more or less common in PCOS patients and PCOS in those with endometriosis is not known. Certainly, everyone that has one of these disorders does not necessarily have the other.
If we cast our minds back, we’ll recall that the leading theory on the origin of endometriosis is a back flow of blood from the uterus through the tubes and out into the pelvis (retrograde menstruation). This theory can only partly explain the origin of endometriosis because most women have this “backward flow” each month, but endometriosis is not seen universally.
The second theory of endometriosis is that the cells lining the pelvis and ovaries are transformed into endometrial cells by some internal or external stimulus. Perhaps, blood and all the growth factors it contains is a good candidate. It can easily be seen how these two theories could work together.
So how is this related to PCOS? In one way, the point is that the PCOS patient who has very infrequent bleeding should have a decreased chance of endometriosis. In another way, oestrogen levels may be chronically elevated to a level lower than those near ovulation, but high enough to cause the endometrium to proliferate as it remains unopposed by progesterone. If endometriosis can be thought of as a fire, the fuel for the fire is oestrogen.
PCOS is associated with increased risk for endometrial hyperplasia, endometrial cancer, insulin resistance, type II diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease. Most importantly, women with PCOS are often infertile because they don’t ovulate. In addition, some women have other factors that contribute to infertility (like a husband with a low sperm count or a uterus scarred by a previous infection), which have nothing to do with PCOS. It is such that if a woman has PCOS, it’s difficult to estimate her chances of having a baby, but there’s plenty that can be done to improve the odds.
But do all women with PCOS suffer from infertility? This is the million naira question and the answer to it depends on the criteria used to diagnose PCOS. If a main criterion is anovulation, then by definition women with PCOS would have fertility problems. It is possible to have the appearance of polycystic ovaries and be fertile, but having the syndrome usually does impact fertility adversely. It is possible that PCOS may reduce egg quality — perhaps because of abnormally high insulin levels, or because of the delayed ovulation (to which insulin resistance may contribute).
It would be appropriate to say that between 40-80 per cent of women with PCOS have a problem with fertility and the reason for this wide variation is that the condition is a complex metabolic syndrome, with multiple factors that interfere with fertility.
Source
While endometriosis has been reported in about 30 percent of infertile women, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is the most common cause of lack of ovulation and certainly a leading cause of female infertility. Statistically, it would seem possible that some women would have both conditions and, in this environment, this is probably the case.
Both of these disorders appear to have a genetic predisposition. However, whether endometriosis is more or less common in PCOS patients and PCOS in those with endometriosis is not known. Certainly, everyone that has one of these disorders does not necessarily have the other.
If we cast our minds back, we’ll recall that the leading theory on the origin of endometriosis is a back flow of blood from the uterus through the tubes and out into the pelvis (retrograde menstruation). This theory can only partly explain the origin of endometriosis because most women have this “backward flow” each month, but endometriosis is not seen universally.
The second theory of endometriosis is that the cells lining the pelvis and ovaries are transformed into endometrial cells by some internal or external stimulus. Perhaps, blood and all the growth factors it contains is a good candidate. It can easily be seen how these two theories could work together.
So how is this related to PCOS? In one way, the point is that the PCOS patient who has very infrequent bleeding should have a decreased chance of endometriosis. In another way, oestrogen levels may be chronically elevated to a level lower than those near ovulation, but high enough to cause the endometrium to proliferate as it remains unopposed by progesterone. If endometriosis can be thought of as a fire, the fuel for the fire is oestrogen.
PCOS is associated with increased risk for endometrial hyperplasia, endometrial cancer, insulin resistance, type II diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease. Most importantly, women with PCOS are often infertile because they don’t ovulate. In addition, some women have other factors that contribute to infertility (like a husband with a low sperm count or a uterus scarred by a previous infection), which have nothing to do with PCOS. It is such that if a woman has PCOS, it’s difficult to estimate her chances of having a baby, but there’s plenty that can be done to improve the odds.
But do all women with PCOS suffer from infertility? This is the million naira question and the answer to it depends on the criteria used to diagnose PCOS. If a main criterion is anovulation, then by definition women with PCOS would have fertility problems. It is possible to have the appearance of polycystic ovaries and be fertile, but having the syndrome usually does impact fertility adversely. It is possible that PCOS may reduce egg quality — perhaps because of abnormally high insulin levels, or because of the delayed ovulation (to which insulin resistance may contribute).
It would be appropriate to say that between 40-80 per cent of women with PCOS have a problem with fertility and the reason for this wide variation is that the condition is a complex metabolic syndrome, with multiple factors that interfere with fertility.
Source
Monday, March 05, 2007
A grandi passi verso la consapevolezza
Awareness Week: 5 – 11 marzo 2007
Non solo le straordinarie volontarie AIE saranno attivissime, ma anche papà , mamme, zii, sorelle, fidanzati… insomma chiunque lo voglia potrà partecipare.
Cliccate su locandina per stampare la brochure (in formato PDF) appositamente studiata per questa settimana così speciale. Potete stamparla e distribuirla. I luoghi idonei sono davvero tanti: la farmacia, lo studio del nostro medico, il circolo dove la mamma va a giocare a carte, la vostra palestra, l’estetista, il bar dove fate colazione, la scuola dei ragazzi, il supermercato, l’androne del condominio. Magari alcune di voi hanno un rapporto amichevole con la chiesa di quartiere: ben venga, allora, distribuirle in oratorio, dove i giovani non mancano. Magari il parroco stesso potrebbe essere disponibile a citare l’informazione, al termine delle funzioni. Da notare che la nostra settimana della consapevolezza cade, volutamente, in concomitanza con un simpatico evento tipicamente femminile: la Festa della donna! Perché non prendere con sé un po’ di volantini da distribuire alle amiche in occasione della classica pizzata dell’8 marzo? Tra una fetta di margherita ed un mazzolino di mimose, l’informazione può scorrere... Vi invitiamo solo a ricordare che l’affissione in ogni luogo pubblico richiede il pagamento della tassa di affissione e pubblicità al Comune di competenza. Informatevi pertanto presso gli appositi uffici e attenzione, perché le contravvenzioni si potrebbero pagare molto care!
Anche le coordinatrici dei gruppi di auto-aiuto AIE si danno da fare: per conoscere le loro iniziative, tenete d’occhio il nostro “Calendario eventi” che verrà man mano aggiornato.
Per curiosare cosa succede in Europa, andate al sito http://www.endometriosis.org
Dal 5 all’11 marzo è in arrivo un fiume in piena, pieno cioè della nostra voglia di fare e di esserci!
Ringraziamo sin d’ora, di cuore, tutti voi che vorrete contribuire!
Creiamo insieme “un’onda anomala”, che lasci dietro di sé più informazione, più impegno e nuovi contatti!
Buona Awareness Week a tutte!
Non solo le straordinarie volontarie AIE saranno attivissime, ma anche papà , mamme, zii, sorelle, fidanzati… insomma chiunque lo voglia potrà partecipare.
Cliccate su locandina per stampare la brochure (in formato PDF) appositamente studiata per questa settimana così speciale. Potete stamparla e distribuirla. I luoghi idonei sono davvero tanti: la farmacia, lo studio del nostro medico, il circolo dove la mamma va a giocare a carte, la vostra palestra, l’estetista, il bar dove fate colazione, la scuola dei ragazzi, il supermercato, l’androne del condominio. Magari alcune di voi hanno un rapporto amichevole con la chiesa di quartiere: ben venga, allora, distribuirle in oratorio, dove i giovani non mancano. Magari il parroco stesso potrebbe essere disponibile a citare l’informazione, al termine delle funzioni. Da notare che la nostra settimana della consapevolezza cade, volutamente, in concomitanza con un simpatico evento tipicamente femminile: la Festa della donna! Perché non prendere con sé un po’ di volantini da distribuire alle amiche in occasione della classica pizzata dell’8 marzo? Tra una fetta di margherita ed un mazzolino di mimose, l’informazione può scorrere... Vi invitiamo solo a ricordare che l’affissione in ogni luogo pubblico richiede il pagamento della tassa di affissione e pubblicità al Comune di competenza. Informatevi pertanto presso gli appositi uffici e attenzione, perché le contravvenzioni si potrebbero pagare molto care!
Anche le coordinatrici dei gruppi di auto-aiuto AIE si danno da fare: per conoscere le loro iniziative, tenete d’occhio il nostro “Calendario eventi” che verrà man mano aggiornato.
Per curiosare cosa succede in Europa, andate al sito http://www.endometriosis.org
Dal 5 all’11 marzo è in arrivo un fiume in piena, pieno cioè della nostra voglia di fare e di esserci!
Ringraziamo sin d’ora, di cuore, tutti voi che vorrete contribuire!
Creiamo insieme “un’onda anomala”, che lasci dietro di sé più informazione, più impegno e nuovi contatti!
Buona Awareness Week a tutte!
Endometriosis Awareness 2007
From www.endometriosis.org
Endometriosis Awareness Week in Europe, Australia and South America is 5 - 11 March 2007, and in the United States it is for the entire month of March.
Activities have been planned in many countries to raise awareness of endometriosis throughout 2007. Stay tuned to this page for continuous updates on what is happening at grass root level in endometriosis!
A common theme for meetings in 2007 is "HOW TO COPE WITH PAIN ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS"
EMAIL US with your activities and they will be included on this page (also beyond March).
LIST OF SUPPORT GROUPS AROUND THE WORLD
AWARENESS 2006
AWARENESS 2005
Endometriosis Awareness Week in Europe, Australia and South America is 5 - 11 March 2007, and in the United States it is for the entire month of March.
Activities have been planned in many countries to raise awareness of endometriosis throughout 2007. Stay tuned to this page for continuous updates on what is happening at grass root level in endometriosis!
A common theme for meetings in 2007 is "HOW TO COPE WITH PAIN ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS"
EMAIL US with your activities and they will be included on this page (also beyond March).
LIST OF SUPPORT GROUPS AROUND THE WORLD
AWARENESS 2006
AWARENESS 2005
Foundation Kicks off Endometriosis Awareness Month with National Honorary Award
Delray Beach, FL--(March 3, 2007)--The international Endometriosis Research Center is extremely pleased to announce the creation of the Nancy Petersen, RN Nursing Scholarship. In celebration of the ERC's tenth anniversary and Endometriosis Awareness Month, the $1,000 Scholarship will be awarded to one nursing student enrolled in an LPN, RN, or Bachelor of Science-Nursing program in the 2007-2008 academic year and who intends to pursue a career in gynecology or other Endometriosis-related field.
Applicants from around the nation are encouraged to apply for the award. Nancy Petersen, RN is an ERC Advisor with forty-five years of achievement in nursing and women's health. She is globally renowned for her pioneering efforts in Endometriosis education, awareness and patient support, and implemented the country's first Endometriosis program to feature Laparoscopic Excision surgery (LAPEX). Her groundbreaking work has led the way to improved patient care and empowered countless women and girls to live well in spite of the disease. Created in her honor, the Scholarship is intended to help a deserving student pursue their dream of a career in nursing in the reproductive health field. The merit-based scholarship application is open to students across the United States and will be awarded on scholastic achievement, community service, essay, and completed application form. Deadline to apply is June 30, 2007. The ERC is an established 501(c)3 non-profit organization focused on research facilitation, patient and professional education, support and advocacy, and raising of disease awareness. The ERC strongly advocates for early intervention, timely diagnosis, and efficacy of treatment for the disease. The organization maintains that Endometriosis is more than just killer cramps. "We continue to find that Endometriosis remains misdiagnosed, misunderstood and ineffectively treated, despite being one of the most prevalent causes of pelvic pain in women and teens around the globe," said Michelle E. Marvel, ERC Founder and Executive Director. "It is our hope that our new scholarship will be one small step in the right direction towards raising Endometriosis awareness among tomorrow’s health care professionals." For details on Awareness Month and the Nancy Petersen, RN Nursing Scholarship, please visit http://www.endocenter.org or email Heather@EndoCenter.org.
Applicants from around the nation are encouraged to apply for the award. Nancy Petersen, RN is an ERC Advisor with forty-five years of achievement in nursing and women's health. She is globally renowned for her pioneering efforts in Endometriosis education, awareness and patient support, and implemented the country's first Endometriosis program to feature Laparoscopic Excision surgery (LAPEX). Her groundbreaking work has led the way to improved patient care and empowered countless women and girls to live well in spite of the disease. Created in her honor, the Scholarship is intended to help a deserving student pursue their dream of a career in nursing in the reproductive health field. The merit-based scholarship application is open to students across the United States and will be awarded on scholastic achievement, community service, essay, and completed application form. Deadline to apply is June 30, 2007. The ERC is an established 501(c)3 non-profit organization focused on research facilitation, patient and professional education, support and advocacy, and raising of disease awareness. The ERC strongly advocates for early intervention, timely diagnosis, and efficacy of treatment for the disease. The organization maintains that Endometriosis is more than just killer cramps. "We continue to find that Endometriosis remains misdiagnosed, misunderstood and ineffectively treated, despite being one of the most prevalent causes of pelvic pain in women and teens around the globe," said Michelle E. Marvel, ERC Founder and Executive Director. "It is our hope that our new scholarship will be one small step in the right direction towards raising Endometriosis awareness among tomorrow’s health care professionals." For details on Awareness Month and the Nancy Petersen, RN Nursing Scholarship, please visit http://www.endocenter.org or email Heather@EndoCenter.org.
Saturday, March 03, 2007
State of Massachusetts Resolution for Endometriosis
State of Massachusetts Resolution for Endometriosis.
Click here to see this Resolution for Endometriosis
Click here to see this Resolution for Endometriosis
Friday, March 02, 2007
Endometriosis Awareness Week
by di-ve.com
Friday, 2 March, 2007 The week commencing 5 of March is Endometriosis Awareness Week. Endometriosis is a condition that affects a considerable number of people, mainly women, around the world. Statistics in Malta for this condition are lacking but we know that a number of Maltese people have been diagnosed with endometriosis. As the name implies, Endometriosis Awareness Week was established to create more awareness about this condition. In 2006, the Endo Support Group was established here in Malta and this year will hold its next meeting during Endometriosis Awareness Week itself on March 9, 2007. Those who have already been diagnosed with this condition and anyone interested can attend the Endo Support meeting which is held regularly every two months. Endometriosis is quite a complex word even to write it or pronounce it. It becomes much more complex when one is diagnosed with this condition and is trying to understand what it means because so far there is no cure and no-one knows exactly what causes it. There are many theories but none of them is yet conclusive. Of course if one has this condition the symptoms are very well known to the person concerned. Unfortunately, however, such symptoms may be unknown to many others including people close to this person both at home or at work because awareness in Malta about this condition is still in its early stages. We do not have any statistics about endometriosis in Malta but we know that nearly two million women in the UK have been diagnosed with endometriosis and 14 million in Europe. Not a small number at all. Hence the importance of creating awareness about this condition. What is endometriosis? Cells like the ones in the lining of the womb are found outside it, mainly in the pelvic area but not necessarily. They could also be found in other areas such as the lungs and thighs. These cells respond to the monthly cycle. But unlike a period, the blood from these cells outside the womb have no way of escaping from the body. So a number of complications could arise including inflammation, adhesions and cysts. Endometriosis can develop at any age from the onset of menstruation to menopause. It could develop even after a pregnancy. When there is endometriosis there is an imbalance in the hormones. What are the symptoms? Symptoms vary from one person to another and also vary in intensity. Some experience severe pain whilst others have no pain at all. Some conceive without difficulty notwithstanding endometriosis whilst others have problems. A common symptom to many is very painful periods. People with this condition who have given birth have compared the pain of endometriosis to that of childbirth. Usually (but not necessarily) this pain is the first indication of this condition at an early age. Not everyone has all the symptoms and there are varying degrees of this condition from mild to severe. Myths about endometriosis 1. It can be cured - It can be treated and symptoms may be relieved but there is no cure yet; 2. Pregnancy solves the problem - Pregnancy could relieve the patient from symptoms during the term of the pregnancy because the monthly cycle is stopped naturally. But upon birth the symptoms can return; 3. It can be diagnosed via ultra sound - The only way that endometriosis may be diagnosed is through laparoscopy or laparatomy. How can it be treated? Treatments include surgery, drug therapy and complementary therapies such as acupuncture, homeopathy, yoga and nutrition. It all depends on the individual. The important thing is that help is sought from professional and qualified people in all cases. Treatment in many cases alleviates symptoms and the quality of life of women could be improved. However this is not the case for everybody because not everyone responds to treatment in the same way. Where does this leave people with this condition? If you are reading this article and you think you might have symptoms similar to endometriosis seek medical help. Do not accept pain as a normal feeling for women. If you have already been diagnosed with this condition you are not alone.
Friday, 2 March, 2007 The week commencing 5 of March is Endometriosis Awareness Week. Endometriosis is a condition that affects a considerable number of people, mainly women, around the world. Statistics in Malta for this condition are lacking but we know that a number of Maltese people have been diagnosed with endometriosis. As the name implies, Endometriosis Awareness Week was established to create more awareness about this condition. In 2006, the Endo Support Group was established here in Malta and this year will hold its next meeting during Endometriosis Awareness Week itself on March 9, 2007. Those who have already been diagnosed with this condition and anyone interested can attend the Endo Support meeting which is held regularly every two months. Endometriosis is quite a complex word even to write it or pronounce it. It becomes much more complex when one is diagnosed with this condition and is trying to understand what it means because so far there is no cure and no-one knows exactly what causes it. There are many theories but none of them is yet conclusive. Of course if one has this condition the symptoms are very well known to the person concerned. Unfortunately, however, such symptoms may be unknown to many others including people close to this person both at home or at work because awareness in Malta about this condition is still in its early stages. We do not have any statistics about endometriosis in Malta but we know that nearly two million women in the UK have been diagnosed with endometriosis and 14 million in Europe. Not a small number at all. Hence the importance of creating awareness about this condition. What is endometriosis? Cells like the ones in the lining of the womb are found outside it, mainly in the pelvic area but not necessarily. They could also be found in other areas such as the lungs and thighs. These cells respond to the monthly cycle. But unlike a period, the blood from these cells outside the womb have no way of escaping from the body. So a number of complications could arise including inflammation, adhesions and cysts. Endometriosis can develop at any age from the onset of menstruation to menopause. It could develop even after a pregnancy. When there is endometriosis there is an imbalance in the hormones. What are the symptoms? Symptoms vary from one person to another and also vary in intensity. Some experience severe pain whilst others have no pain at all. Some conceive without difficulty notwithstanding endometriosis whilst others have problems. A common symptom to many is very painful periods. People with this condition who have given birth have compared the pain of endometriosis to that of childbirth. Usually (but not necessarily) this pain is the first indication of this condition at an early age. Not everyone has all the symptoms and there are varying degrees of this condition from mild to severe. Myths about endometriosis 1. It can be cured - It can be treated and symptoms may be relieved but there is no cure yet; 2. Pregnancy solves the problem - Pregnancy could relieve the patient from symptoms during the term of the pregnancy because the monthly cycle is stopped naturally. But upon birth the symptoms can return; 3. It can be diagnosed via ultra sound - The only way that endometriosis may be diagnosed is through laparoscopy or laparatomy. How can it be treated? Treatments include surgery, drug therapy and complementary therapies such as acupuncture, homeopathy, yoga and nutrition. It all depends on the individual. The important thing is that help is sought from professional and qualified people in all cases. Treatment in many cases alleviates symptoms and the quality of life of women could be improved. However this is not the case for everybody because not everyone responds to treatment in the same way. Where does this leave people with this condition? If you are reading this article and you think you might have symptoms similar to endometriosis seek medical help. Do not accept pain as a normal feeling for women. If you have already been diagnosed with this condition you are not alone.
Diagnostic delay in endometriosis is confirmed - but why?
Courtesy of www.endometriosis.org
A qualitative study has now been published describing women’s experiences of reaching a diagnosis of endometriosis. The authors call for more awareness of endometriosis to reduce 8.5 year diagnostic delay.
This paper, by Karen Ballard and colleagues, reports the findings of an interview-based study, where they set out to investigate women’s experiences of endometriosis, and in particular, the events that lead to a diagnosis of endometriosis.
Women attending a pelvic pain clinic were invited to take part in the study, which involved having an in-depth discussion with the researcher about their experiences of endometriosis. The discussions lasted between one and two hours and were audio taped and then transcribed to allow the researcher to look for common patterns as well as unusual occurrences in women’s experiences.
The study confirmed the findings of others, showing that there continues to be a delayed diagnosis of endometriosis of around 8 ½ years. Four key reasons for the delayed diagnosis were identified:
1: Women thought symptoms were normalWomen often delayed reporting their symptoms to the doctor because they considered them to be ‘normal’. Although their periods were problematic, and often disruptive to their life, women considered themselves to be ‘unlucky’ rather than ill. Other family relatives, who also reported having difficult menstrual experiences, often confirmed this perception. Early experiences of pain were rarely discussed with friends, partly because women felt embarrassed to do so, and partly because they did not want to appear weak and unable to cope with what they thought were normal, albeit painful, periods. In order to cope with the pain, women reported withdrawing from social activities, spending time in bed and at times taking potentially harmful levels of analgesia:
R21: I would stay at home a couple of days each month…. But I just, you know … just assumed I was just one of them unlucky people that got bad period pains. I never really linked it to … well, I'd never even heard of endometriosis before. So … I just … I lived on Nurofen while I like had a period - like every four or five hours. (Age 26; Symptoms for 4 years prior to diagnosis)
2: Women were told that 'symptoms were normal'Having finally decided to seek medical help for their symptoms, many women were told by the General Practitioner (GP) that their symptoms were ‘normal’ and were therefore advised to take analgesic drugs when necessary. Often after repeated visits to the GP, women were prescribed the oral contraceptive pill, being told that this would ‘control’ their periods. This advice, coupled with women’s previous concerns that they were unable to cope with what they thought was ‘normal’ pain, often led them to question whether their pain was genuine or maybe ‘in their head’:
R15: You know, I was thinking, I was in a very stressful job - was my job something to do with it? Am I psychologically making myself have this pain? I've just got to the point where I just don't understand it at all!! I did think to myself, am I making this sort of thing happen? I mean that's how I felt eventually. I started thinking am I doing this on purpose so that I haven't got to go to work? But I don't really hate work that much that I would do that. (Age 32, diagnosed after 18 years of pain)
3: Hormonal drugs provided temporary reliefWomen were often prescribed hormonal drugs, such as the oral contraceptive pill, or they became pregnant, and so their symptoms were temporarily relieved. Whilst the symptom relief was certainly welcome, women still did not have a diagnosis for their symptoms.
4: Inadequate diagnostic methods were applied
Almost all women in the study were sent for a transvaginal scan to determine the cause of their pain. Whilst this test is efficient at identifying endometriomas (endometriosis cysts on the ovary), to date, it has not been shown to be good at identifying endometriosis in other areas. Hence, all but one of the women in the study received a negative scan result. Unfortunately, having a negative scan result added to the delay in diagnosis and often meant that women were once again told that their pain was ‘normal’.
R20: It was awful just going for these flipping internals all the time and being told there's nothing there. To actually keep going backwards and forwards and having it, and then there's nothing showing up. And when I've then mentioned about having the … is it the laparoscopy – having that done, they're "Well, no, it won't be done because there's nothing showing up on these [ultrasound]!" (Age 28; 6 years of pain prior to diagnosis)
The importance of a diagnosis
Having finally been diagnosed with endometriosis, women spoke about the relief that they felt now that they knew what was wrong with them. In particular, whilst they were not glad to have endometriosis, women were relieved that their symptoms were not caused by cancer. Having a diagnosis also provided women with a language in which to discuss their condition with others, especially employers, who could now be given a genuine medical reason for any absences from work.
Having a diagnosis also provided women with a legitimate reason for excusing themselves from various social activities when they felt unable to participate. Being able to say ‘my endometriosis has flared up’ appeared to be acceptable amongst various social groups.
The findings of this study point towards the need for greater awareness of endometriosis symptoms. In particular, teenage girls need to be knowledgeable about what to expect from ‘normal’ menstrual experiences and when to seek medical help, and GPs need to have a better understanding of the symptoms associated with endometriosis as well as the need for appropriate diagnostic tests.
SOURCE:
Ballard KD, Lowton K, Wright JT. What’s the delay? A qualitative study of women’s experiences of reaching a diagnosis of endometriosis. Fertil Steril 2006;86:1296-1301.
A qualitative study has now been published describing women’s experiences of reaching a diagnosis of endometriosis. The authors call for more awareness of endometriosis to reduce 8.5 year diagnostic delay.
This paper, by Karen Ballard and colleagues, reports the findings of an interview-based study, where they set out to investigate women’s experiences of endometriosis, and in particular, the events that lead to a diagnosis of endometriosis.
Women attending a pelvic pain clinic were invited to take part in the study, which involved having an in-depth discussion with the researcher about their experiences of endometriosis. The discussions lasted between one and two hours and were audio taped and then transcribed to allow the researcher to look for common patterns as well as unusual occurrences in women’s experiences.
The study confirmed the findings of others, showing that there continues to be a delayed diagnosis of endometriosis of around 8 ½ years. Four key reasons for the delayed diagnosis were identified:
1: Women thought symptoms were normalWomen often delayed reporting their symptoms to the doctor because they considered them to be ‘normal’. Although their periods were problematic, and often disruptive to their life, women considered themselves to be ‘unlucky’ rather than ill. Other family relatives, who also reported having difficult menstrual experiences, often confirmed this perception. Early experiences of pain were rarely discussed with friends, partly because women felt embarrassed to do so, and partly because they did not want to appear weak and unable to cope with what they thought were normal, albeit painful, periods. In order to cope with the pain, women reported withdrawing from social activities, spending time in bed and at times taking potentially harmful levels of analgesia:
R21: I would stay at home a couple of days each month…. But I just, you know … just assumed I was just one of them unlucky people that got bad period pains. I never really linked it to … well, I'd never even heard of endometriosis before. So … I just … I lived on Nurofen while I like had a period - like every four or five hours. (Age 26; Symptoms for 4 years prior to diagnosis)
2: Women were told that 'symptoms were normal'Having finally decided to seek medical help for their symptoms, many women were told by the General Practitioner (GP) that their symptoms were ‘normal’ and were therefore advised to take analgesic drugs when necessary. Often after repeated visits to the GP, women were prescribed the oral contraceptive pill, being told that this would ‘control’ their periods. This advice, coupled with women’s previous concerns that they were unable to cope with what they thought was ‘normal’ pain, often led them to question whether their pain was genuine or maybe ‘in their head’:
R15: You know, I was thinking, I was in a very stressful job - was my job something to do with it? Am I psychologically making myself have this pain? I've just got to the point where I just don't understand it at all!! I did think to myself, am I making this sort of thing happen? I mean that's how I felt eventually. I started thinking am I doing this on purpose so that I haven't got to go to work? But I don't really hate work that much that I would do that. (Age 32, diagnosed after 18 years of pain)
3: Hormonal drugs provided temporary reliefWomen were often prescribed hormonal drugs, such as the oral contraceptive pill, or they became pregnant, and so their symptoms were temporarily relieved. Whilst the symptom relief was certainly welcome, women still did not have a diagnosis for their symptoms.
4: Inadequate diagnostic methods were applied
Almost all women in the study were sent for a transvaginal scan to determine the cause of their pain. Whilst this test is efficient at identifying endometriomas (endometriosis cysts on the ovary), to date, it has not been shown to be good at identifying endometriosis in other areas. Hence, all but one of the women in the study received a negative scan result. Unfortunately, having a negative scan result added to the delay in diagnosis and often meant that women were once again told that their pain was ‘normal’.
R20: It was awful just going for these flipping internals all the time and being told there's nothing there. To actually keep going backwards and forwards and having it, and then there's nothing showing up. And when I've then mentioned about having the … is it the laparoscopy – having that done, they're "Well, no, it won't be done because there's nothing showing up on these [ultrasound]!" (Age 28; 6 years of pain prior to diagnosis)
The importance of a diagnosis
Having finally been diagnosed with endometriosis, women spoke about the relief that they felt now that they knew what was wrong with them. In particular, whilst they were not glad to have endometriosis, women were relieved that their symptoms were not caused by cancer. Having a diagnosis also provided women with a language in which to discuss their condition with others, especially employers, who could now be given a genuine medical reason for any absences from work.
Having a diagnosis also provided women with a legitimate reason for excusing themselves from various social activities when they felt unable to participate. Being able to say ‘my endometriosis has flared up’ appeared to be acceptable amongst various social groups.
The findings of this study point towards the need for greater awareness of endometriosis symptoms. In particular, teenage girls need to be knowledgeable about what to expect from ‘normal’ menstrual experiences and when to seek medical help, and GPs need to have a better understanding of the symptoms associated with endometriosis as well as the need for appropriate diagnostic tests.
SOURCE:
Ballard KD, Lowton K, Wright JT. What’s the delay? A qualitative study of women’s experiences of reaching a diagnosis of endometriosis. Fertil Steril 2006;86:1296-1301.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Blog Debuts for Valentine’s Day with ‘Can Endometriosis Travel to the Heart?’ — Yes, Says Dr. Wallace, Author, ‘Living With Lung and Colon Endometrios
Question Posed on Yahoo! Answers Social Networking Site Receives Global Interest; Spurs More ‘Endometriosis Migration’ Concerns
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Just in time for Valentine’s Day, when everyone’s focus is on the “heart,” the news of the day is that “Endometriosis can travel and attach to the heart,” says Glynis Wallace, DMD, on her new blog launched today. Dr. Wallace, a former USAF Major and a graduate of Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, is the author of “Living With Lung and Colon Endometriosis: Catamenial Pneumothorax.” The internationally acclaimed book provides hope and inspiration, based on her personal experience with endometriosis, to the countless women around the world who suffer from this often debilitating under-diagnosed and misunderstood disease.
The question posed on “Yahoo! Answers” today ignited an impassioned string of responses from women who were previously unaware of endometriosis migration. View blog at http://blog.catamenialpneumothorax.org. Dr. Wallace last month launched the website www.catamenialpneumothorax.org to spearhead quicker, easier, and more widespread global diagnosis and subsequent treatment regimes.
Says Dr. Wallace, “It is shocking that women know so very little about endometriosis and those you ask about the disease believe that endometriosis is limited to the pelvic area. The truth is that endometriosis can travel throughout your body attaching to most organs in its path – a little known fact that I am hopeful my new blog will help rectify.”
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LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Just in time for Valentine’s Day, when everyone’s focus is on the “heart,” the news of the day is that “Endometriosis can travel and attach to the heart,” says Glynis Wallace, DMD, on her new blog launched today. Dr. Wallace, a former USAF Major and a graduate of Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, is the author of “Living With Lung and Colon Endometriosis: Catamenial Pneumothorax.” The internationally acclaimed book provides hope and inspiration, based on her personal experience with endometriosis, to the countless women around the world who suffer from this often debilitating under-diagnosed and misunderstood disease.
The question posed on “Yahoo! Answers” today ignited an impassioned string of responses from women who were previously unaware of endometriosis migration. View blog at http://blog.catamenialpneumothorax.org. Dr. Wallace last month launched the website www.catamenialpneumothorax.org to spearhead quicker, easier, and more widespread global diagnosis and subsequent treatment regimes.
Says Dr. Wallace, “It is shocking that women know so very little about endometriosis and those you ask about the disease believe that endometriosis is limited to the pelvic area. The truth is that endometriosis can travel throughout your body attaching to most organs in its path – a little known fact that I am hopeful my new blog will help rectify.”
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Health Tip: Risk Factors for Endometriosis
(HealthDay News) -- Endometriosis is a condition in which uterine-like tissue grows outside the uterus. These growths may be referred to as benign tumors, lesions, nodules or implants.
More than 5 million women in the United States have the condition, the National Women's Health Information Center says. The agency says certain factors may place you at higher risk:
Starting your period at a young age.
Having heavy periods.
Periods that last for longer than seven days.
Short menstrual cycles -- 27 days or less.
Having a close female relative -- such as a mother, aunt or sister -- with the condition.
More than 5 million women in the United States have the condition, the National Women's Health Information Center says. The agency says certain factors may place you at higher risk:
Starting your period at a young age.
Having heavy periods.
Periods that last for longer than seven days.
Short menstrual cycles -- 27 days or less.
Having a close female relative -- such as a mother, aunt or sister -- with the condition.
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