Doctor advises women to get tested to catch ovarian cancer early
An Indian doctor has written a newspaper column urging women over the age of 50 to incorporate ovarian cancer testing as a routine practice for ensuring optimal health.
The advice comes from Dr. Rishma Dhillon Pai who wrote in the Indian Newspaper the Hindu that women who have “a family history or women who have had breast/uterus/colon cancer in the past” should be tested because they are at an increase risk for the condition.
Pai continued that this was especially true for ovarian cancer, which has subtle symptoms some women may think are tied to another condition.
“Ovarian cancer is very dangerous as it is not easily diagnosed till an advanced stage,” Pai wrote in the Hindu. “The only symptoms may be heaviness and bloating in the stomach, gas, nausea, or diarrhea. Sometimes irregular vaginal bleeding may be seen.”
Health officials have said one of the best defenses against the disease is detecting it early through cancer testing, which allows patients to receive life-saving treatments that in some cases have prevented the disease.
Source: Private MD
