Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Ovarian Cancer & Diet

Cancer is not one disease, but many different diseases that attack different parts of the body in different ways. Ovarian cancer is one that is hard to detect, but fortunately it has definitive symptoms that should make it easier to identify.


Experts recommend that a woman see her doctor if she experiences any of these symptoms almost daily for more than a few weeks: bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency).


Luckily, women can do some things at home to treat and prevent ovarian cancer.


Significance


The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that more than 21,000 women were diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2008. That same year, more than 12,000 women died from the disease, making it the second-deadliest gynecologic cancer. Ovarian cancer is the fifth-leading cause of cancer-related deaths among American women.


Traditional treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, with the surgical option usually consisting of the removal of at least one ovary. Seventy-five percent of women survive the first year, while only 45 percent survive past five years. Only 19 percent of cases are diagnosed in the disease's early stages, and this usually occurs when evidence of cancer happens to show up during another medical procedure.


Diet


Several commonly available foods are known to have anti-cancer effects. Olive oil, garlic, soy, green tea, and fenugreek are known to fight and prevent cancer in general and ovarian cancer specifically. The ACS reported on a 2003 study that showed women who eat a diet rich in vegetables survived longer than five years after diagnosis. In particular, those who ate broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and foods high in vitamin E did better longer than those who failed to increase their vegetable intake. Dairy products, on the other hand, hurt the five-year survival rate.


Body Cleanse


Cleansing your body of toxins is another way to fight ovarian cancer. Enemas are known to remove harmful toxins and parasites from your system, and drinking plenty of water and eating plenty of melon is a good way to flush your kidneys out as well. Sweating, either through exercise, a sauna, or drinking hot coffee on a warm day, is another easy way to rid your body of toxins. The exercise that leads to sweating can also help reduce and relieve stress, and stress is a key component in the development of ovarian cancer.


Herbal Remedies


Herbal treatments, when used in conjunction with a doctor's treatment plan, can be helpful in most cases. Astragalus capsules, espinheira santa tincture, green tea extract, mistletoe loranthus or mulberry mistletoe, and soy isoflavone concentrate are just some of the herbs recommended for fighting cancer. Ginger fights just about every kind of cancer, including ovarian, and selenium has been used in many cases to combat the effects of chemotherapy.







Tags: more than, ovarian cancer, body toxins, five years, longer than, more than women