Menopause and Ovarian Cancer Dangers Revealed
Going through menopause is bad enough; the symptoms can be devastating as most women will attest
. But if you are taking hormones prescribed by your doctor, are you also worried about ovarian cancer? Perhaps you may want to find out the facts, and take steps to avoid this dreaded affliction that will strike over 22,000 women in the U.S. this year alone. Over 60% of the women diagnosed will die of the disease.
Ovarian cancer is a cancer that forms in the ovaries (either one or both) of a woman, and is normally one of two types; either ovarian epithelial carcinoma, which is formed in the cells of the surface of the ovaries, or malignant germ cell tumors that begin in the egg cells. The fact is that ovarian cancer is now the 4th leading cause of death in women, but mainly strikes women over the age of 50 when menopause is either complete or well on it's way. Is there a link between the two? This is where the facts get a little murky.
Although some research has been done on ovarian cancer, the few studies completed are not conclusive as to whether menopause is involved directly, let alone hormone replacement therapy. In 2006, the National Cancer Institute examined data pertaining to over 23,000 women that had hysterectomies and another 73,000 women that did not, and found that the risk of developing ovarian cancer was significantly higher in women who used hormone therapy than in women who never used such therapy. The main finding was that for women with intact uteri (no hysterectomy) , "five or more years of sequential use of estrogen plus progestin (progestin for less than 15 days per cycle) was positively associated with ovarian cancer".
Of course there are other factors that can be at work here, such as genetic predisposition, general health, and external factors such as potential for exposure to other chemicals, such as pesticides, and tobacco use. The bottom line is that if you are considering taking a course of HRT, these numbers may be rather frightening. Can you minimize the risk somehow? Let's take a look at some alternatives, and how a healthy diet and exercise may be the key to avoiding this risk.
Here are some simple steps you can take to help minimize your risks of getting ovarian cancer:
Replace the red meat in your diet with soy and fish (low fat)
Eat a minimum of five servings of fresh fruit and vegetables daily
Use herbal remedies instead of pharmaceuticals to ease symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes
Drink at least 4-6 glasses of clean water each day
Exercise moderately for at least 30 minutes a day
See your doctor! Get a pelvic exam yearly, too
Don't use talcum powder (it has been linked to ovarian cancer)
Menopause and Ovarian Cancer Dangers Revealed
By: Doug Hart
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