Friday, December 23, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Breaking News! Adhesions easily visualised with simple Barium Swallow!
Breaking News!
Adhesions easily visualised with simple
"NONE INVASIVE "
CONTRAST X-RAY BARIUM SWALLOW!
When taking the test, you drink a preparation containing Barium sulfate . The x-ray tracks the chalky like liquid as it makes it way through your digestive system, (inside the organs).....however it also showed what was on the OUTSIDE of the organs of the digestive track, (in the peritoneal cavity within the abdominal cavity!)
The "Contrast Barium Swallow" abdominal x-ray diagnostic was never meant to show anything else, it showed ADHESIONS attaching internal organs in the lower digestive track to the peritoneum and to other organs.
It can also show the "mis-alignment" of intestines from being pulled out of the normal alignment by adhesion attachments!
This diagnostic can also detect bowel obstructions or bowel impactions---and all of this without so much as a surgeons knife!
MORE TO COME
on this magnificent discovery in the world of
ARD!
on this magnificent discovery in the world of
ARD!
Maybe 2012 WILL be a year of good for
"Adhesion Related Disorder"
victims!
victims!
!!!! Visible Adhesions !!!!!
"MERRY CHRISTMAS"
"HAppy Holidays"
or rather
"THank-God"
"HAppy Holidays"
or rather
"THank-God"
!! DEMAND THIS DIAGNOSTIC !!
The "X-Ray Barium Swallow" diagnostic test is NOT used to detect adhesions, or any other "pathological anomalies," OUTSIDE of the organs of the digestive track!
The "X-Ray Barium Swallow" is a diagnostic tool used to solely detect "pathological anomalies, obstructions and/or diseases," WITHIN the organs of the digestive track!
You MUST insist that your attending physician order this diagnostic test if you have had a previous adhesiolysis, or many of them for that matter, and are currently experiencing abdominal/pelvic pain that YOU think is associated with adhesions, or ARD!
Have it ordered for "Pain," as you see listed below!
DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELF
to be denied this diagnostic!
Barium Swallow IntroductionA barium swallow is a test that may be used to determine the cause of painful swallowing, difficulty with swallowing, abdominal pain, bloodstained vomit, or unexplained weight loss.
Barium sulfate is a metallic compound that shows up on x-ray and is used to help see abnormalities in the esophagus and stomach. When taking the test, you drink a preparation containing this solution. The x-rays track its path through your digestive system.
•These problems can be detected with a barium swallow: ◦Narrowing or irritation of the esophagus (the muscular tube between the back of the throat and the stomach)
◦Disorders of swallowing
◦Hiatal hernia (an internal defect that causes the stomach to slide partially into the chest)
◦Abnormally enlarged veins in the esophagus that cause bleeding
◦Ulcers
◦Tumors
◦Polyps (growths that are usually not cancerous, but could be precancerous)
Barium Swallow - Test Results
ALWAYS INSIST YOU RECEIVE A COPY OF THE TEST , BUT MOST IMPORTANT IS THAT YOU SECURE A VISUAL COPY OF THE FILMS OF THE X-RAY ITSELF AS IT IS IN THESE THAT YOU WILL SEE ADHESIONS IF THEY ARE VISIBLE!!!!
The "normal" pathology results your Dr. looks for and will jabber about are listed below here, just listen them out, then make sure you get a visual or the test for yourself! It is imperative that YOU look for your own results and IF adhesions can be seen in these films, you will recognize them!
Usual Test Results:
Ask your doctor for the results of your barium swallow test. You may have to wait a few days until the radiologist (a specialist in x-ray examinations) looks at the x-rays and gives your doctor the final results. Your doctor will recommend a plan of action to you based on the results.
•The x-rays will show the digestive wave (peristalsis) through the length of the esophagus. When barium reaches the end of the esophagus, the barium enters the stomach.
•The barium swallow may reveal problems in the pharynx (the back of the throat), the esophagus, or the stomach. The problems could be narrowing, tumors, polyps, ulcers (erosions), or disorders in moving food through the system. It can also show a hiatal hernia, diverticula (pouches opening along the esophagus), or varices (enlarged veins).
•If the barium swallow test shows any area of concern, your doctor may plan what other tests, procedures, treatments, or medications you may need. The treatment for problems discovered during a barium swallow vary depending on the condition. http://www.emedicinehealth.com/barium_swallow/article_em.htm
A picture is worth a 1000 word...so see for yourselves!
In 2009 a known adhesion sufferer had a GI Barium Swallow for "Chronic Abdominal Pain."
This female suffered "Adhesion Related Disorder" and had undergone multiple surgeries in which abdominal adhesion's were present and lysed in each of her each surgeries. Relief was always fleeting and the pain always returned after each surgery.
When this test was taken in 2009 she was told everything is fine and the test revealed nothing, and it was absolutely right, as long as he made his determination based on what the test was meant to show! She had NO abnormal internal organ pathology showing in this Barium Swallow! The docs said she was just fine and sent her on her way.
She had Cat scans, MRI's every test in the book, you name it and the financial toll was enormous...... and all the doctors said she was fine. They could find nothing wrong and yet she suffered so.
A subsequent surgery was scheduled and records and imagery were sent to the new surgeon.
During pre op...reviews of all the tests...these images below caught the surgeon eye!
The surgeon palpitated each area where adhesions were being visualised on these simple
"Contrast Barium Swallow X-Ray Films."
As an ARD patient advocate watched, knowing what was being seen on the screen in front of them showing what could only be "ADHESIONS," the Dr. asked the patient, "Does it hurt there? Does it hurt here?"
Each time the ARD patient confirmed her pain was exactly where the surgeon indicated it might be in her abdomen. The surgeon then told his surgery team that he wanted these films up on a screen in the operating room during the procedure!
As an ARD patient advocate watched, knowing what was being seen on the screen in front of them showing what could only be "ADHESIONS," the Dr. asked the patient, "Does it hurt there? Does it hurt here?"
Each time the ARD patient confirmed her pain was exactly where the surgeon indicated it might be in her abdomen. The surgeon then told his surgery team that he wanted these films up on a screen in the operating room during the procedure!
You bet he did!
An IHRT patient advocate was scrubbed up and in the OR with the surgeon.....as you will see below, everywhere the wispy white tendrils appeared...is where he lysed adhesion! He used the images below as a guide to lysing the patients adhesions during the entire surgery. He confirmed this for us all!
After surgery, the patient, the surgeon and IHRT advocate were in somewhat of disbelief at what they had just witnessed, and they knew that these images had guided the way...the surgeon confirmed for us that indeed...this simple test reveled adhesions exquisitely!
We feel that this may finally be the end of expensive testing for adhesion patients....the statement that adhesions rarely if ever show up in any type of imaging is now a myth.
No more "Let's have a surgical look, see" to search for the always elusive adhesions.
Use these images to advocate for yourself. Ask for this simple non invasive, inexpensive test!!!!
It is not in your head....it is right there in black and white for all the world to see.
Removing personal information from these images has been difficult but this most generous adhesion sufferer has had that as her only request.
There are more images still to be placed in this posting and each image will be summarised as to what you are looking at anatomically so please check back! Approx a dozen more images from the same series coming soon!
Surgery done by Dr Pagels
We place his information here for your convenience but urge you to exercise due diligence when deciding which surgeon is right for you!
Dr. Pagels is now Chief of Gynecology at St.Josef Krankenhaus Moers. He was chief of Gynecology at Klinikum Duisburg, when this surgery was done.
This is his address: Herr Dr. Med. Jens Pagels
St. Josef Krankenhaus Moers
Asberger Str. 4
47441 Moers
Germany
Telephone Number: +49 (0) 2841 1072430
His email address is: gyn.pagels@st-josef-moer
This news is so wonderful we wanted to get it to you as soon as possible!
We wish all who suffer from adhesions all the best this holiday season and we present you a gift from an anonymous adhesion sufferer.
A simple " Contrast Barium Swallow X-Ray!"
"MERRY CHRISTMAS"
"Happy Holidays"
"Happy Holidays"
This first image below ...what do you see in the one o'clock position?
Do YOU think you are correct!
( NO, that is not a fetus, it is a twisted bowel!)
( NO, that is not a fetus, it is a twisted bowel!)
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Simple remedies for menstrual cramps
Simple remedies for menstrual cramps
GYNOISSUES
By DONNA HUSSEY-WHYTE All Woman writer husseyd@jamaicaobserver.com
Monday, December 12, 2011
SOME women endure cramps so bad each month, that they are forced to stop regular activities for a day or two.
Severe cramping can be caused by a number of things, like disease in the reproductive organs; endometriosis; pelvic inflammatory disease; narrowing of the cervix; or fibroids or growths on the inner wall of the uterus.
But whatever the cause, the recommended remedies are the same.
Gynaecologist and obstetrician at the University Hospital of the West Indies, Professor Horace Fletcher, said young women don't need to suffer horrible pain that keeps them away from work and school.
He suggested:
1. The best way to treat severe menstrual cramps is to take oral contraceptives. This kind of pain responds to contraceptive pills taken in the normal way — once daily for 21 days. The woman should be first evaluated by her doctor to make sure there are no contraindications.
2. Mild cramps respond to normal painkillers like Paracetamol, Panadol, Tylenol, or any of the non- steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin or ibuprofen. All of these have some side effects.
3. Antispasmodics like Baralgin or Buscopan can work as well, usually in conjunction with the treatments above.
4. A hot water bottle or heating pad compress against the stomach helps.
Other remedies you could try are:
1. Drink herbal teas like chamomile, mint, raspberry and blackberry, which may help soothe tense muscles and anxious moods.
2. Exercise. Regular workouts decrease the severity of cramps. It is therefore recommended that you start exercising the week leading up to the start of your period.
3. Empty your bladder as soon as you have the urge to urinate.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/magazines/allwoman/Simple-remedies-for-menstrual-cramps_10343747#ixzz1gVWgRTKT
GYNOISSUES
By DONNA HUSSEY-WHYTE All Woman writer husseyd@jamaicaobserver.com
Monday, December 12, 2011
SOME women endure cramps so bad each month, that they are forced to stop regular activities for a day or two.
Severe cramping can be caused by a number of things, like disease in the reproductive organs; endometriosis; pelvic inflammatory disease; narrowing of the cervix; or fibroids or growths on the inner wall of the uterus.
But whatever the cause, the recommended remedies are the same.
Gynaecologist and obstetrician at the University Hospital of the West Indies, Professor Horace Fletcher, said young women don't need to suffer horrible pain that keeps them away from work and school.
He suggested:
1. The best way to treat severe menstrual cramps is to take oral contraceptives. This kind of pain responds to contraceptive pills taken in the normal way — once daily for 21 days. The woman should be first evaluated by her doctor to make sure there are no contraindications.
2. Mild cramps respond to normal painkillers like Paracetamol, Panadol, Tylenol, or any of the non- steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin or ibuprofen. All of these have some side effects.
3. Antispasmodics like Baralgin or Buscopan can work as well, usually in conjunction with the treatments above.
4. A hot water bottle or heating pad compress against the stomach helps.
Other remedies you could try are:
1. Drink herbal teas like chamomile, mint, raspberry and blackberry, which may help soothe tense muscles and anxious moods.
2. Exercise. Regular workouts decrease the severity of cramps. It is therefore recommended that you start exercising the week leading up to the start of your period.
3. Empty your bladder as soon as you have the urge to urinate.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/magazines/allwoman/Simple-remedies-for-menstrual-cramps_10343747#ixzz1gVWgRTKT
Friday, December 09, 2011
Study Links Ovary Removal in Younger Women to Bone Thinning and Arthritis
Released: 12/6/2011 8:45 AM EST
Embargo expired: 12/8/2011 11:30 AM EST
Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine
Note to Reporters: The authors of this study will present their data during a press conference at the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium on Thursday, Dec. 8 at 11:30 AM, ET. The dial-in phone number for the press conference is (888) 647-7462.
Newswise — Having both ovaries removed before age 45 is strongly associated with low-bone mineral density and arthritis in later years, according to a new study by Johns Hopkins oncologists and epidemiologists. The analysis covered several thousand women who took part in a U.S. government-sponsored, multiyear national health study, and excluded women whose ovaries were removed due to cancer.
“This is one of the largest national studies, to my knowledge, that highlights the difference in bone-mineral density in women who have their ovaries removed at a young age. Our results suggest that such women should be monitored closely for osteoporosis,” says Kala Visvanathan, M.D., M.H.S., associate professor of oncology and epidemiology in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Kimmel Cancer Center. Results of the study are expected to be presented at the 2011 CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 6-10.
The investigators were interested in studying the long-term effects of ovary removal, known as oophorectomy, on bone health since the procedure is recommended to reduce ovarian and breast cancer risk in women at high risk for these diseases. Oophorectomy also is a common procedure in women who undergo hysterectomy, or womb removal. In the U.S., about 600,000 1 women per year undergo a hysterectomy, or womb removal, and about half of these women also have both ovaries removed. Hysterectomy is commonly performed in middle-aged women to treat symptoms of pain or bleeding caused by conditions, such as fibroids, endometriosis, or uterine prolapsed, or cysts. Women having hysterectomies for these benign conditions may also have their ovaries removed at the same time, believing that it will reduce cancer risk, according to Visvanathan.
Regardless of the reason for such surgery, however, the procedure has adverse effects, the Hopkins researchers say. Levels of estrogens and related hormones that are normally produced by the ovaries fall steeply after oophorectomy, bringing on menopause abruptly in women who are not yet postmenopausal. Estrogens help protect the body from aging and age-related disease, and physicians and epidemiologists over the past two decades have linked their premature loss to increased risks of parkinsonism, dementia, arthritis, and the brittle-bone condition known as osteoporosis.
For the study, Anne Marie McCarthy, a Ph.D. candidate at Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Visvanathan used existing information from a health research database, called the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). The information was gathered as part of a U.S.-sponsored epidemiological study conducted during 1988-94, and, among other health measures, it includes data from standard, X-ray-based measure of bone-mineral density in the hip and spine for thousands of women. “Using the NHANES III data, we set out to measure bone mineral density in women who’d had a bilateral oophorectomy compared with women with intact ovaries,” says McCarthy.
Of the data on 34,000 Americans aged two months and older included in the NHANES III study, McCarthy focused on more than 3,700 women aged 40 and over with no history of cancer. Most had intact ovaries; of the 560 women who had oophorectomy, about half had surgery before age 45.
McCarthy found that women who had both ovaries removed before age 45 had on average three percent lower bone mineral density than women with intact ovaries.
McCarthy examined arthritis risk, too, and found that 48 percent of women who had oophorectomies before age 45 reported an arthritis diagnosis, compared with only 32 percent for those with intact ovaries.
When McCarthy excluded women who had taken hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which normally counters the effects of lost ovarian hormones, these added risks became even higher. “Women who had had a bilateral oophorectomy before age 45 and didn’t take HRT were about twice as likely to get arthritis and three times as likely to have low-bone mineral density, compared with those with intact ovaries,” she says.
The NHANES III data represent snapshots of subjects’ health, and do not conclusively establish that oophorectomy causes lower bone mineral density, according to the researchers. But the Hopkins researchers’ analysis is consistent with previous studies, they say, and strongly suggests that oophorectomy can accelerate age-related conditions, such as osteoporosis – and thus shouldn’t be done without a clear medical reason. “The key factor may be the abrupt removal of ovarian hormones, in contrast with natural menopause in which there is a gradual decline, but that’s something we need to study further,” says Visvanathan.
Women with cancer and other medical conditions that necessitate oophorectomy, and women with specific genetic mutations that bring extremely high ovarian cancer risk, should still get their ovaries removed, she adds. “But they should be monitored closely for early signs of low-bone mineral density, so that osteoporosis can be prevented with the appropriate treatments.”
The research was funded by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
On the Web:
http://www.hopkinskimmelcancercenter.org/
CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: http://www.sabcs.org/
Reference:
1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2585770
http://www.newswise.com/articles/johns-hopkins-study-links-ovary-removal-in-younger-women-to-bone-thinning-and-arthritis
Embargo expired: 12/8/2011 11:30 AM EST
Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine
Note to Reporters: The authors of this study will present their data during a press conference at the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium on Thursday, Dec. 8 at 11:30 AM, ET. The dial-in phone number for the press conference is (888) 647-7462.
Newswise — Having both ovaries removed before age 45 is strongly associated with low-bone mineral density and arthritis in later years, according to a new study by Johns Hopkins oncologists and epidemiologists. The analysis covered several thousand women who took part in a U.S. government-sponsored, multiyear national health study, and excluded women whose ovaries were removed due to cancer.
“This is one of the largest national studies, to my knowledge, that highlights the difference in bone-mineral density in women who have their ovaries removed at a young age. Our results suggest that such women should be monitored closely for osteoporosis,” says Kala Visvanathan, M.D., M.H.S., associate professor of oncology and epidemiology in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Kimmel Cancer Center. Results of the study are expected to be presented at the 2011 CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 6-10.
The investigators were interested in studying the long-term effects of ovary removal, known as oophorectomy, on bone health since the procedure is recommended to reduce ovarian and breast cancer risk in women at high risk for these diseases. Oophorectomy also is a common procedure in women who undergo hysterectomy, or womb removal. In the U.S., about 600,000 1 women per year undergo a hysterectomy, or womb removal, and about half of these women also have both ovaries removed. Hysterectomy is commonly performed in middle-aged women to treat symptoms of pain or bleeding caused by conditions, such as fibroids, endometriosis, or uterine prolapsed, or cysts. Women having hysterectomies for these benign conditions may also have their ovaries removed at the same time, believing that it will reduce cancer risk, according to Visvanathan.
Regardless of the reason for such surgery, however, the procedure has adverse effects, the Hopkins researchers say. Levels of estrogens and related hormones that are normally produced by the ovaries fall steeply after oophorectomy, bringing on menopause abruptly in women who are not yet postmenopausal. Estrogens help protect the body from aging and age-related disease, and physicians and epidemiologists over the past two decades have linked their premature loss to increased risks of parkinsonism, dementia, arthritis, and the brittle-bone condition known as osteoporosis.
For the study, Anne Marie McCarthy, a Ph.D. candidate at Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Visvanathan used existing information from a health research database, called the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). The information was gathered as part of a U.S.-sponsored epidemiological study conducted during 1988-94, and, among other health measures, it includes data from standard, X-ray-based measure of bone-mineral density in the hip and spine for thousands of women. “Using the NHANES III data, we set out to measure bone mineral density in women who’d had a bilateral oophorectomy compared with women with intact ovaries,” says McCarthy.
Of the data on 34,000 Americans aged two months and older included in the NHANES III study, McCarthy focused on more than 3,700 women aged 40 and over with no history of cancer. Most had intact ovaries; of the 560 women who had oophorectomy, about half had surgery before age 45.
McCarthy found that women who had both ovaries removed before age 45 had on average three percent lower bone mineral density than women with intact ovaries.
McCarthy examined arthritis risk, too, and found that 48 percent of women who had oophorectomies before age 45 reported an arthritis diagnosis, compared with only 32 percent for those with intact ovaries.
When McCarthy excluded women who had taken hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which normally counters the effects of lost ovarian hormones, these added risks became even higher. “Women who had had a bilateral oophorectomy before age 45 and didn’t take HRT were about twice as likely to get arthritis and three times as likely to have low-bone mineral density, compared with those with intact ovaries,” she says.
The NHANES III data represent snapshots of subjects’ health, and do not conclusively establish that oophorectomy causes lower bone mineral density, according to the researchers. But the Hopkins researchers’ analysis is consistent with previous studies, they say, and strongly suggests that oophorectomy can accelerate age-related conditions, such as osteoporosis – and thus shouldn’t be done without a clear medical reason. “The key factor may be the abrupt removal of ovarian hormones, in contrast with natural menopause in which there is a gradual decline, but that’s something we need to study further,” says Visvanathan.
Women with cancer and other medical conditions that necessitate oophorectomy, and women with specific genetic mutations that bring extremely high ovarian cancer risk, should still get their ovaries removed, she adds. “But they should be monitored closely for early signs of low-bone mineral density, so that osteoporosis can be prevented with the appropriate treatments.”
The research was funded by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
On the Web:
http://www.hopkinskimmelcancercenter.org/
CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: http://www.sabcs.org/
Reference:
1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2585770
http://www.newswise.com/articles/johns-hopkins-study-links-ovary-removal-in-younger-women-to-bone-thinning-and-arthritis
Thursday, December 08, 2011
Protagen Collaborates in Endometriosis Biomarker Project
Protagen Collaborates in Endometriosis Biomarker Project
Protagen AG
Protagen AG, a specialist for in-vitro diagnostics, has announced that it is to collaborate with Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals on the clinical validation of Endometriosis biomarkers. The project will build on the results of the Endometriosis biomarker discovery study performed last year.
Endometriosis is a gynaecological condition which occurs in roughly 5-10% of women worldwide. It occurs when uterine cells grow outside of the uterine cavity, often on the ovaries. The debilitating condition can cause recurrent pelvic pain of varying severity, constipation, fatigue and infertility issues in sufferers.
Protagen has successfully developed the proprietary UNIarray® technology platform for the development of novel, non-invasive diagnostic tests based on auto-antibody signatures in human blood.
The ‘gold standard’ diagnostic test for endometriosis is currently laparoscopy, a visual inspection of the abdominal organs followed by surgical removal and examination of lesions. The collaborative project to be undertaken by Protagen AG and Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceutical, is aimed at employing the UNIarray® technology for the predictive diagnosis of Endometriosis.
“With the targeted advancement of the UNIarray® technology platform, Protagen has developed into a preferred partner for drug development companies”, states Dr. Peter Schulz-Knappe, CSO and Executive Vice President Diagnostics at Protagen, “now we can directly support our collaboration partners in pharma and biotech in all clinical Phases I-IV with the development of therapy specific diagnostic assays. Besides Endometriosis, our technology is applied in autoimmune diseases like Multiple Sclerosis, chronic inflammatory diseases and cancer. Cooperation partners are, amongst others, Bayer, Biogen-Idec und SuppreMol”.
In order to understand the biochemical and molecular biological processes of Endometriosis, new technologies like UNIarray® are becoming increasingly important. Improving the predictive diagnosis of Endometriosis should help to improve patient’s quality of life.
Protagen AG
Protagen AG, a specialist for in-vitro diagnostics, has announced that it is to collaborate with Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals on the clinical validation of Endometriosis biomarkers. The project will build on the results of the Endometriosis biomarker discovery study performed last year.
Endometriosis is a gynaecological condition which occurs in roughly 5-10% of women worldwide. It occurs when uterine cells grow outside of the uterine cavity, often on the ovaries. The debilitating condition can cause recurrent pelvic pain of varying severity, constipation, fatigue and infertility issues in sufferers.
Protagen has successfully developed the proprietary UNIarray® technology platform for the development of novel, non-invasive diagnostic tests based on auto-antibody signatures in human blood.
The ‘gold standard’ diagnostic test for endometriosis is currently laparoscopy, a visual inspection of the abdominal organs followed by surgical removal and examination of lesions. The collaborative project to be undertaken by Protagen AG and Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceutical, is aimed at employing the UNIarray® technology for the predictive diagnosis of Endometriosis.
“With the targeted advancement of the UNIarray® technology platform, Protagen has developed into a preferred partner for drug development companies”, states Dr. Peter Schulz-Knappe, CSO and Executive Vice President Diagnostics at Protagen, “now we can directly support our collaboration partners in pharma and biotech in all clinical Phases I-IV with the development of therapy specific diagnostic assays. Besides Endometriosis, our technology is applied in autoimmune diseases like Multiple Sclerosis, chronic inflammatory diseases and cancer. Cooperation partners are, amongst others, Bayer, Biogen-Idec und SuppreMol”.
In order to understand the biochemical and molecular biological processes of Endometriosis, new technologies like UNIarray® are becoming increasingly important. Improving the predictive diagnosis of Endometriosis should help to improve patient’s quality of life.
Saturday, December 03, 2011
Rise in Dangerous Type of Ovarian Cancer
Poon Chian Hui - Straits Times Indonesia | November 18, 2011
More women in Singapore are coming down with an aggressive form of ovarian cancer whose symptoms are vague and survival rate low.
In 1988, 5.2 percent of all ovarian cancers were of the type called clear cell carcinoma. In 2007, the figure went up to 13.4 percent.
Less than 40 percent of women who get it survive, even when the cancer is detected early, said Associate Professor Tay Sun Kuie of the Singapore General Hospital (SGH).
In contrast, other types of ovarian cancer have a survival rate of as high as 70 percent when discovered early.
Prof Tay led a study which looked at the profiles of 256 ovarian cancer patients seen at SGH from 2004 to 2009, and examined national trends based on data from the Singapore Cancer Registry from 1988.
Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common among women in Singapore after breast, colorectal, lung and uterus, and nearly 300 are diagnosed with it every year.
It affects one out of 18 female cancer patients, and some 40 percent of cases occur in those aged 55 and above. The clear cell type usually crops up earlier, in those aged 40 onwards.
The symptoms for clear cell carcinoma are vague, but it has been found to occur in women who have painful and irregular periods and who are mysteriously losing weight or their appetite.
The study also found that women who were never pregnant are 14 percent more likely to get this aggressive cancer, compared with ovarian cancer patients who had at least one child.
There is also a link to endometriosis, a disorder where the womb lining responsible for menstruation is found outside the womb, leading to severe menstrual cramps, chronic pain in the pelvic region and infertility.
Patients who have the clear cell type are nearly five times more likely to have endometriosis than those with other types of ovarian cancer.
Clear cell carcinoma is the most lethal of all ovarian cancers. Even with surgery and chemotherapy, up to 80 percent of sufferers fail to improve, even if they were diagnosed at an early stage.
Prof Tay, a senior consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology, said the cancer cells have special genes that makes them more resistant to chemotherapy drugs. "Giving the cancer cells medicine is like giving them water - it doesn't kill them," he said.
SGH decided to research clear cell carcinoma because the cancerous cysts resemble ordinary ones in ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) scans.
Cysts in the ovaries are common and normally harmless.
"The cyst looks just like an empty fish bowl," said Prof Tay. "It can confuse doctors... because of the seemingly harmless appearance."
This was the case for a patient known only as Madam Lim in the study, which was first presented at the Singapore International Congress of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in August.
The 41-year-old manager, who was married but never pregnant, had a history of endometriosis.
When her pain flared up again, she underwent ultrasound and CT scans which revealed a large cyst measuring 15cm in diameter.
During the operation to remove it, doctors realized she actually had clear cell ovarian cancer.
Her condition is currently stable after treatment.
As doctors "cannot possibly take out every cyst in all women", Prof Tay hoped the study would help doctors in better diagnosing this cancer by pointing out, for example, the link with endometriosis.
He said women who experience an unexplained loss of appetite and worsening symptoms of endometriosis may want to seek medical advice early.
"This doesn't mean that one should be alarmist, but women ought to be more aware of changes in their body," he said.
Reprinted courtesy of Straits Times Indonesia. To subscribe to Straits Times Indonesia and/or the Jakarta Globe call 021 2553 5055.
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/international/rise-in-dangerous-type-of-ovarian-cancer/479337#Scene_1
More women in Singapore are coming down with an aggressive form of ovarian cancer whose symptoms are vague and survival rate low.
In 1988, 5.2 percent of all ovarian cancers were of the type called clear cell carcinoma. In 2007, the figure went up to 13.4 percent.
Less than 40 percent of women who get it survive, even when the cancer is detected early, said Associate Professor Tay Sun Kuie of the Singapore General Hospital (SGH).
In contrast, other types of ovarian cancer have a survival rate of as high as 70 percent when discovered early.
Prof Tay led a study which looked at the profiles of 256 ovarian cancer patients seen at SGH from 2004 to 2009, and examined national trends based on data from the Singapore Cancer Registry from 1988.
Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common among women in Singapore after breast, colorectal, lung and uterus, and nearly 300 are diagnosed with it every year.
It affects one out of 18 female cancer patients, and some 40 percent of cases occur in those aged 55 and above. The clear cell type usually crops up earlier, in those aged 40 onwards.
The symptoms for clear cell carcinoma are vague, but it has been found to occur in women who have painful and irregular periods and who are mysteriously losing weight or their appetite.
The study also found that women who were never pregnant are 14 percent more likely to get this aggressive cancer, compared with ovarian cancer patients who had at least one child.
There is also a link to endometriosis, a disorder where the womb lining responsible for menstruation is found outside the womb, leading to severe menstrual cramps, chronic pain in the pelvic region and infertility.
Patients who have the clear cell type are nearly five times more likely to have endometriosis than those with other types of ovarian cancer.
Clear cell carcinoma is the most lethal of all ovarian cancers. Even with surgery and chemotherapy, up to 80 percent of sufferers fail to improve, even if they were diagnosed at an early stage.
Prof Tay, a senior consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology, said the cancer cells have special genes that makes them more resistant to chemotherapy drugs. "Giving the cancer cells medicine is like giving them water - it doesn't kill them," he said.
SGH decided to research clear cell carcinoma because the cancerous cysts resemble ordinary ones in ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) scans.
Cysts in the ovaries are common and normally harmless.
"The cyst looks just like an empty fish bowl," said Prof Tay. "It can confuse doctors... because of the seemingly harmless appearance."
This was the case for a patient known only as Madam Lim in the study, which was first presented at the Singapore International Congress of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in August.
The 41-year-old manager, who was married but never pregnant, had a history of endometriosis.
When her pain flared up again, she underwent ultrasound and CT scans which revealed a large cyst measuring 15cm in diameter.
During the operation to remove it, doctors realized she actually had clear cell ovarian cancer.
Her condition is currently stable after treatment.
As doctors "cannot possibly take out every cyst in all women", Prof Tay hoped the study would help doctors in better diagnosing this cancer by pointing out, for example, the link with endometriosis.
He said women who experience an unexplained loss of appetite and worsening symptoms of endometriosis may want to seek medical advice early.
"This doesn't mean that one should be alarmist, but women ought to be more aware of changes in their body," he said.
Reprinted courtesy of Straits Times Indonesia. To subscribe to Straits Times Indonesia and/or the Jakarta Globe call 021 2553 5055.
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/international/rise-in-dangerous-type-of-ovarian-cancer/479337#Scene_1
Friday, December 02, 2011
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