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San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital
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VIBRANT HEALTH is published as a community service for the
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telephone
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Hospital Board of Directors
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Dr. Jerilynn Kaibel
Healthcare District Board of
Directors Chairperson
Lynn Bogh Baldi
Hospital Chief Executive Officer
MarkTurner
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Kenneth J. Kim
Information in VIBRANT HEALTH comes from a wide range of medical
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that may affect your health, please contact your health care provider.
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2016 © Coffey Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.
WHEN
it comes to cancer, breast
cancer is on a lot of women’s radar—
think of all those pink ribbons.
But how much do you know
about ovarian cancer? And is what
you do know accurate?
Make sure you’re not misled by
these misconceptions.
Myth:
Ovarian cancer is almost
always deadly.
Fact:
It certainly can be life-
threatening. In fact,
ovarian cancer kills
more women than
any other reproduc-
tive cancer. Still,
when found early—before it’s spread
outside the ovaries—the five-year
survival rate is 92 percent, reports
the American Society of Clinical
Oncologists.
Myth:
Ovarian cancer doesn’t
cause symptoms.
Fact:
For years, ovarian cancer
was considered a silent killer that
rarely produced symptoms. And
many women weren’t diagnosed
until their cancer was advanced. But
doctors now have identified certain
warning signs, including:
w
w
Bloating
w
w
Having pelvic pressure or abdomi-
nal pain
w
w
Feeling full quickly or having
trouble eating
w
w
Feeling a need to urinate often or
urgently
If these symptoms are unusual for
you—or they happen almost daily
for more than a few weeks—tell your
doctor. If ovarian cancer is causing
them, acting quickly may help detect
the disease at an early, highly treat-
able stage.
Myth:
If my Pap
test is normal, I
don’t have ovarian
cancer.
Fact:
The Pap
test spots cancerous or precancerous
changes in your cervix—it isn’t a test
for ovarian cancer.
Myth:
The CA-125 blood test
can check healthy women for ovar-
ian cancer.
Fact:
Unfortunately, this test—
which measures the blood levels of a
protein called CA-125—isn’t a reli-
able screening test.
Even though blood levels of
CA-125 are often elevated in women
with ovarian cancer, there are also
harmless reasons for high levels. As a
result, the test isn’t useful for routine
screening.
Additional source: American Cancer Society
4 myths
about ovarian cancer
To find a gynecologist
close to you, call
951-769-4894
.