Lung cancer has become part of the agenda of the political players in the state of Alberta. Dr. Raj Sherman claimed that 250 of the lung cancer patients who died from 2003 to 2006; died while they were on the waiting list for treatment.

All patients who have been referred by their family physician for specialized care will have access to 2 rapid access clinics that will be opened in Calgary and Edmonton for further diagnosis. AHS is of the opinion by restructuring their processes they will be perform an additional 184 surgeries for lung cancer patients each year.

20 percent of lung cancer patients currently receive treatment in Alberta and the goal is to take that to 30 percent. As the disease progress surgery becomes more and more difficult and hence AHS has set the goal reduce the waiting time to be able to give treatment as soon as possible which will result in a higher lung cancer survival rates.

Director of Cancer care at AHS, Dr.Paul Grundy says: “The hope is that by getting people through that initial part faster, we will have more patients eligible for surgery,”; Currently however there has been no announcement regarding hiring of new thoracic surgeons to achieve the goal of faster initial part.

The increased operating capacity which AHS wants to bring will come only from the overhaul of the organizational processes and will cost up to $15.4 million an amount which will be obtained from within the organization by finding efficiencies in the system.

Fred Horner, Health and Wellness minister, has said: “lung cancer patients across the province will receive the same, expedited treatment based on referral criteria.” And he also added that the program has not been started only due to negative political campaigns and press releases against the current system. Fred Horner said that this has been in plan for a long time now.

The goal of AHS is that by 2013; 75% of the patient who have been referred by their family physician to start receiving the treatment within 30 days and at maximum 60 days. The current waiting time is not known as there is no standardized method for referral by family physicians. However once the change in the AHS organization processes is brought all referrals will follow a standard practice and will thus increase the efficiency and reduce waiting time for patients.

Director of UGA Cancer Center J.Michael Pierce said: “Our vice president of research David Lee puts an emphasis on taking discoveries and translating products into companies,”. The next step for the success of this vaccine is going to be to raise the millions of dollars necessary for the clinical trials of the vaccine. Research Geert-Jan Boons who is the developer of this vaccine has said: “To go from a mouse to a compound on the market will take seven years,”
This treatment is currently being called MUC1 and has shown upto 80% and more reduction of cancerous tumors amongst mice. The cancer has been used to treat breat cancer however it could also be used to treat other sorts of cancers including pancreatic cancer, lung cancer and prostate cancer.

The infrastructure available at University of Georgia has made all this research possible. Most of the research driving force has been The Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University previously however in the late 1990s; the then Governor Roy Barners said that Georgians shouldn’t have to leave the state to receive advanced treatment..
Walter J. Curran Jr. who is director at Winship has said that: “even with an efficient system, to prove it beneficial in patients is optimistically a decade away.”

University of Georgia currently holds the patent on the drug and will earn revenue by licensing the drug to large pharmaceutical companies. One of the main benefit of MUC1 drug is that it strengthens and stimulate the immune system to fight against the cancer which could overcome one of the big problems in conventional medicine in which the cancer would become resistant to them.

Dr. Otis Brawley at the American Cancer Society has said: “ cancer vaccines have the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment, not in a year, but it would be over the next 10 to 20 years.”

Most times when someone has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, the news tends to render women somewhat unable to make the right decisions in terms of treatment. For this reason therefore, it is important that you rely on a good doctor to recommend the appropriate treatment option for you. Before treatment can begin, always seek a second opinion about the presence of the disease from another expert. This will help you not to treat yourself in a manner that is harmful to you yet there might not even be any ovarian cancer.

Generally speaking, the commonest ovarian cancer treatment options that are available include surgery and chemotherapy though sometimes radiotherapy is also recommended. Surgery is mostly recommended for the cancer that is still restricted to within the ovary. In the event that a patient has a more severe case of the ovarian cancer, both surgery and chemotherapy might be used.

Surgery tends to offer positive results if performed by someone who is a professional at gynecologic oncology which deals specifically with cancers that affect the female reproductive system. Such a person usually deals not only with ovarian cancer but also cervical cancer, uterine cancer, vulvar cancer and endometrial cancer. If the disease has spread, it requires special efforts to make sure that the parts where it has spread are not affected during the process of surgery.

In situations where the cancer is at a more severe and advanced stage, it is important to do away with as much of the cancerous cells as possible. Depending on the size of the tumor, the surgery may require removal of tumors from less than 1cm in diameter to more than 10 cm in diameter.

The chemotherapy procedure is looked at more as one of the long term care alternatives for ovarian cancer. It is usually recommended after surgery has been carried out. The major purpose of the chemotherapy in the ovarian cancer treatment is to ensure in case there are any residual effects of the disease, they are swept away completely. This however will depend on the nature of the ovarian cancer. There are some kinds of ovarian cancer types that might not respond at all to chemotherapy while there are other kinds that will respond positively to the chemotherapy.

Intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy is particularly recommended for people whose ovarian cancer has gone beyond stage IIIC. The use of the intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy has however not been standardized as a fully recommended treatment for ovarian cancer even though it tends to work as a first time treatment.

Radiation therapy is also at times recommended as an ovarian cancer treatment option although this is not good for the later stages of the disease. This is simply because when the important organs are exposed to radiation, it is difficult and very risky to have the right dose monitored. Therefore at the late stages, this form of treatment is avoided as the important organs might not be able to handle the after effects.

Some of the more common ovarian cancer symptoms include the abdominal pains which can create massive discomfort. Abdominal mass is also reported while bloating also tends to occur. The bloating refers to abnormal enlarging and swelling of the area of the abdomen. This means that someone will somewhat feel tightness around the area of the abdomen and this is why the abdominal pain tends to show up.

Other ovarian cancer symptoms include back pain as well as urinary urgency. The urinary urgency tends to occur quite often, forcing someone to have regular urge to urinate more often than not. It may not exactly have too much relation to any form of interstitial cystitis, polyuria, urinary incontinence or nocturia for that matter. It may lead to a situation known as urge incontinence which actually means that the condition is generally difficult to control.

Digestive symptoms also tend to show up as some of the ovarian cancer symptoms for instance indigestion. Other digestive symptom includes constipation as well as having a lot of gas. In some cases, loss of appetite is noticed which is also followed with Nausea and vomiting as well. This inevitably leads to loss of weight owing to the fact that the body is not being fed well. In cases where one actually has the appetite, they do not tend to get filled and they never seem to get satisfaction. Diarrhea also does show up in some cases as one of the symptoms of ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer also leads to heaviness in the pelvis and this is also coupled with plenty of back pain which tends to become more severe with time. The pain tends to be in the back areas, the pelvic area as well as the legs sometimes. There could also be cases of vaginal bleeding which can turn out to be quite irregular. There are some other ovarian cancer symptoms that are not as common and will occur on a rare basis. Some of these include problems in breathing and excessive growth of body hair. Someone who is suffering from ovarian cancer tends to feel very tired very often. Even after carrying out a very simple task, their body begins to feel really tired.

As already mentioned, the symptoms of ovarian cancer can be slightly difficult to trace and for this reason, there is need to take quick action and do routine check ups to make sure that one is free of the disease. It could develop and then go on to spread without one even knowing. Many people tend to discover its presence when it has spread and become more severe.

The vast majority of ovarian cancer cases are diagnosed at a later stage and therefore it is rare to come across someone who is in the very early stages of the disease. This therefore means that the survival rates are not as high as they should be. In case it was diagnosed early on, the survival would be much higher.

Generally speaking, ovarian cancer has a very poor prognosis. This simply means that many women tend to lose their lives to the disease. The survival rate however does depend on the stage at which the cancer is. The further the stage, the more deadly the disease and therefore the lower the survival rate. Over 60% of women who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer are diagnosed when the disease is at stage III or worse.

The fiver year ovarian cancer survival rate is 47. If the disease is diagnosed early on, the survival rate can be as high as 92.7%. This means that if the disease is diagnosed early, more can be done to treat it and so it will not get worse. This cancer happens to be the second commonest gynecologic cancer but when it comes to statistics, it is one of the most dangerous. In 2010, ovarian cancer was responsible for about 14,000 deaths in the United Stages alone.

One of the reasons why the Ovarian Cancer Survival Rate at the latter stages tends to be low is because when the cancer has spread to other organs, its effects become disastrous. Some of these organs are delicate and can not handle the pressure brought on by the cancer so they usually give way and fail to perform to full capacity. This is why people with later stage ovarian cancer tend to suffer quite a lot.

The 5 year survival rate of ovarian cancer varies from one stage to another. At stage 1A, the survival rate stands at 92.1%. At stage IB, the rate reduces to 84.9%. When it gets to stage 1C, the 5 year survival rate goes down to 82.4% and this also goes down to 69% when the ovarian cancer gets to stage 2A. At stage 2B, the rate lowers even further to 56.4%. At stage 2C, it is at 51.4 and at 3A, it is at 39.3%. The 5 year ovarian cancer survival rate at stage 3B is at 25.5% while for stage 3C, the rate is at 17.1%. At stage 4, the survival rate almost disappears and is at a lowly 11.6%.

As already mentioned, the survival rate can only be high if the disease is diagnosed early on. Therefore it is important to have an early diagnosis before things get out of hand.

Most ovarian cancer statistics are depictive of particular societies however these same statistics can be used as a reference point in case there were cases of ovarian cancer. In the world today, there are more than 204,000 new cases of ovarian cancer every passing year. Out of these people who are diagnosed with the disease, almost 125,000 die from the disease. Such statistics send a clear signal that there are very many out there who are really at risk of developing the ovarian cancer.

Statistics for the disease also bring to light the fact that USA and Northern Europe have the greatest prevalence of the disease. Asia and African surprisingly have lower chances of suffering from the disease. The places with the highest cases of ovarian cancer are Northern Europe, Western Europe, North America, New Zealand. Northern Africa probably has the lowest cases of the disease and it is slightly followed by Eastern Asia, Southern Africa, Western Asia and South Central Asia.

The incidence tends to be higher in developed countries as compared to the less developed countries. In 2008, ovarian cancer was responsible for the dearth of about 15,000 women in the United States. Between 2004 and 2008, the average age for diagnosis of the disease was 63 with about 1.2 women under the age of 20 being diagnosed as having the disease. After age adjustment, it was discovered that the annual incidence was at 12.8 per every 100,000 women.

Ovarian cancer statistics show that in the United Kingdom, there are about 6,600 newly diagnosed cases of ovarian cancer each year. It is the 4th commonest cause of death and about 4,300 women actually die from the disease each year. The 5 year survival rate is 41%. In Europe the countries with the fewest cases of ovarian cancer are Portugal, Greece as well as Cyprus and there are about 43,000 new cases of ovarian cancer each year.

In Australia the disease is the 9th commonest kind of cancer and the 6th greatest cause of death among women. Before the age of 85, at least one in every 77 people are often diagnosed with the disease. Generally, there are about 1,378 cases of the disease diagnosed each year and the average age iss at 64 years.

Ovarian cancer counts for about 3% of all the different cancer types that affect women. Sadly however, it is the 5th leading cause of death among women and more often than not, many women die from the disease without even knowing what killed them.

Ovarian cancer statistics show that generally, women stand a 1.4% to 2.5% chance of developing the disease. Older women are more at risk and over half the deaths from ovarian cancer tend to occur amongst women who are between the ages of 55 and 75 years. One quarter of the deaths occur to women who are between the ages of 35 and 54.

There are several ovarian cancer stages and right from the time when the disease has just started to develop, it goes through a metamorphosis of stages until it becomes really severe or extreme. The staging of ovarian cancer is done using the FIGO system. This simply arises from The International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics and the staging makes use of the information that is got after surgery.

Stage I is the first stage which is usually only centralized to within the ovaries. At this stage, the cancer could have affected just one of the ovaries or even both but it is still within the ovaries. Stage IA is where one ovary is involved, there is a capsule that is in place and there is no cancer on the surface of the ovary. At this stage there are also no malignant cells.

The next among the ovarian cancer stages is Stage IB where the capsule is intact too and there is no tumor but there are some negative washings. Stage IC is where the capsule could have been affected in some way and it might have been ruptured. There is also presence of the tumor on the surface of the ovary as well as presence of positive washings.

At Stage II of the ovarian cancer the cancer has spread a little further and it has reached the pelvis a well as any implants. Stage IIA is where the cancer has been implanted onto the fallopian tube or the uterus and evidently there are negative washings. Stage IIB is where the implants are onto the structures of the pelvis as well. Stage IIC is where the pelvis is affected too and there are positive peritoneal washings.

The next stage among the ovarian cancer stages is Stage III where there are little implants just around the pelvis. The cancer is restricted to the pelvis. Stage IIIA is where the microscopic peritoneal cells have gone past the pelvis. Stage IIIB is where the extent of the metastases is about 2cm or more.

Stage IV is the next among the ovarian cancer stages and at this stage, the disease has spread to other organs of the body for instance the liver. At this stage, the cancer has spread further than its original location. The spread of ovarian cancer starts from the ovaries where it goes ahead to spread to the pelvic parts and onto the abdomen.
The cancer never really skips from one stage to another abruptly. It usually follows a trend and right from the time when it has developed up to when it reaches the more severe stages, it goes through some kind of transformation.

Since one of the risk factors for the development of ovarian cancer is being infertile and not bearing children, it is only logical that you work on the issue of fertility as well as bearing children. If you have never given birth, giving birth might put you out of harm’s way in terms of developing the ovarian cancer. As for the issue of fertility, there are several medical procedures that can be carried out to attempt to enhance the fertility of a woman and you could try some of these so that the chances of developing ovarian cancer are reduced massively.

One very good method of ovarian cancer prevention is by testing to find out how vulnerable one is. Regular and constant tests will help you to keep track of the disease because after all, you can not rely on the symptoms for you to know that you actually have the disease. Many people are let down by the fact that they are ignorant about the possibility of ovarian cancer manifesting itself like other diseases altogether. Such people usually find themselves trying to treat different diseases in an attempt to deal with the symptoms while actually ignoring the exact problem which is ovarian cancer.

Since ovarian cancer starts in the ovaries and fallopian tubes, one of the ovarian cancer prevention methods would be to completely remove these parts from a woman’s reproductive system. This would essentially mean that a woman can not bear children anymore. This is mostly recommended for people who might have mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. The removal of these parts leave them with no risk of developing the ovarian cancer because after all, the disease starts in the ovary and therefore removal of the ovary means it can not develop.

Basing on the fact that family history and personal history play a role as risk factors for ovarian cancer, it is important to keep a keen eye on each of these. This means that you have to take a good medical history test with a qualified individual who can tell if you stand the risk of developing the disease after asking you some questions. This way, you can be ready for any eventuality and you will be twice as alert about ovarian cancer. If many women in your family have suffered from ovarian cancer, you might want to talk to medical individuals so that they can make the right recommendations.

Another possible ovarian cancer prevention method would be the use of oral contraceptives. Research has shown that women who consume these oral contraceptives over a period of 10 years are at a lower risk of developing the cancer. This must however be done with care because there are certain chemicals and substances that might increase the risk of catching the cancer instead of reducing them.

Ovarian Cancer is a cancer that affects the ovary. The female reproductive system is affected by ovarian cancer in the parts of the ovary and in some cases the fallopian tube. Ovarian cancer is generally known to start from the surface of the ovary known as the epithelium. There are some unique cases where the cancer is thought to start in the fallopian tube.

One of the most crucial ovarian cancer facts that you ought to know is that very many women are actually at risk of developing the disease mainly because it takes a while before one can know that they are suffering from it. Most times when the symptoms begin to manifest, they are seen as symptoms of other ailments. This explains why most women only realize later on that they have ovarian cancer after originally observing the symptoms and linking them to other diseases.

There are a number of ovarian cancer symptoms that will eventually show up as one begins to develop the disease and as it spreads. Some of these include abdominal pain, pelvic pain and back pain. Apart from these, there are other symptoms for instance bloating, constipation and urinary urgency. These could be followed by or complimented with constipation, digestive troubles and general loss of appetite.

The majority of women who suffer from ovarian cancer tend to be older women. Those who suffer from it in younger ages are usually bound to suffer simply benign conditions of the disease. Most women who are under 30 are not likely to suffer from ovarian cancer and when they do, it is not as dangerous. Ovarian cancer among such women is mostly characterized by fluid filled cysts.

One of the ovarian cancer facts is that the disease might not exactly have a clear cut cause but it does have several risk factors that are responsible for its development and spread. Some of these factors include old age, lack of fertility and inability to bear children. Other possible causes include the consumption of certain chemical substances that destabilize the hormonal balance of the body as well as genetic causes. Also, women who come from families where there is history of ovarian cancer stand a risk of developing the cancer.

The diagnosis of ovarian cancer usually begins with a pelvic examination and then a blood test followed by a transvaginal ultrasound. The discovery of ovarian cancer in the early stages is really difficult and therefore can only be done when the disease has somewhat spread to more advanced stages. Another important fact among the ovarian cancer facts is that the disease is actually classified in stages and types. As a matter of fact, there are several different types of ovarian cancer.

When you go to the doctor, the first step in the ovarian cancer diagnosis is a physical exam. This will basically include the doctor checking your body for any physical signs of the presence of the disease. They may press your abdomen so that they can tell if there are any tumors or to tell if there is any fluid fill up. This is done along side a series of question to identify if there are some other possible reasons why you would be having the symptoms. The doctor will find out your medical history so that they can make recommendations based on facts that they have attained.

A pelvic exam is also taken as the other step in the ovarian cancer diagnosis. This pelvic test will involve the doctor taking some time to feel the ovaries as well as other surrounding organs. The reason for this it to feel if there are any lumps or if there has been any kind of alteration in terms of size or shape of the organs being felt. A pap test is also carried out at this point even though it is not exactly used for the collection of the ovarian cells. This test identifies if there is cervical cancer and in many cases, ovarian cancer and cervical cancer can have many cross over similarities.

There are instances where the doctor may deem it fit to carry out blood tests. In such a case, the doctor will be looking to see if there are certain substances present in the blood. Substances like CA-125 are searched for in the blood. This particular substance is usually on the surface of the ovary and incase the substance is highly concentrated, it could mean that the cancerous cells are present and are spreading. It could also be a sign of the presence of other conditions and therefore can not exclusively be used as the perfect diagnosis for ovarian cancer.

Ultrasound is also another step in the ovarian cancer diagnosis process. The use of ultrasound helps the medical experts to detect the presence of certain substances using sound waves which can not ordinarily be heard by the human ear. This works in such a way that sound is bounced into the inner parts of the pelvis and then a picture is created basing on the echoes that are produced when the sound bounces off the organs where it has been directed.

A biopsy is yet another stage in the ovarian cancer diagnosis and this entails the elimination of tissue fluid as the search of cancer goes on. Depending on what happens from the ultrasound and blood test, the doctor might find it worthwhile to recommend the removal of tissue fluid from the areas of the abdomen as well as the pelvis.