A Lancet editorial supports the new ovarian cancer screening consensus statement that women who experience bloating, pelvic/abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, or frequent or urgent urination for more than a couple of weeks should see their doctor, as these may be early symptoms of the disease.
While acknowledging that "such symptoms are ... associated with many other diseases and conditions, and for every ovarian cancer detected, many false positives might also result," the editorial points to recent research indicating that these symptoms are more severe and frequent in ovarian cancer.
Having also noted that the statement provides no guidance to physicians and that there's no evidence that use of these symptoms for screening will reduce mortality, the editorial concludes that it is a "move in the right direction" and that "its chief contribution might be to improve communication between women and their doctors."
No comments:
Post a Comment