Endometriosis is Not a Cancer, Or Can it Be?

Generally speaking we have been telling women that endometriosis is no a cancer, will not turn into cancer, and that pain of endometriosis is part of their disease and not a sign of cancer. A new report has gotten a lot of media attention that states endometriosis raises a woman's risk of certain types of cancer. The reports in the Lancet Oncology inf Feb 2012 showed that endometriosis is associated with clear cell, endometrioid and low-grade serous ovarian cancers. This conclusion was drawn from analysis of many studies. There is a theory that a certain gene defect in the ARIDIA gene might be the reason that some women might suffer from both endometriosis and ovarian cancer. It is too soon to do special gene screening of this nature, but it's another example of how gene screening may help us know as your gyno how to direct your care in the future. So women with endometriosis should take the following steps: 1. Continue to get routine gynecologic care, do not skip yearly check ups, 2. Report unusual symptoms such as abdominal pains, change in abdominal pains or bloating, 3. Speak to your gyno about general and specific things you can do to reduce risk of ovarian cancer and what you may be able to do that would help prevent ovarian cancer in the future. 5. Consider blood marker testing such as CA125 if you have gotten ultrasound screening, and OVA1 testing or HE4 testing if you have a cyst or growth on your ovary. 6. Get ultrasound testing if you are found to have an abnormality on pelvic exam, persistent pain, or any of the abdominal symptoms noted above.

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Passing Your Uterine Lining, Menstrual Period Norms

Decidual Cast Periods can be fairly easy, passing some tissue at a time, or off can come the whole lining in one piece called a decidual cast. Generally the lining of the uterus is only 6-8 mm thick at the time of the menstrual period, and it is shed gradually, a few cells at a time. The decidual cast is when the entire lining passes spontaneously. It's not uncommon, but it usually both uncomfortable, and alarming to some. But us women are designed to have some sort of periods Or Not? We have to pass tissue each month. Or Not? Are they good for us? Or Not? Do we want them? Or Not? Is this something that is individual? Or Not? It's a complex topic that I will be discussing a lot over my time in this blog. So lets start with basics: How much do we bleed and what are we loosing, and just what was this that the patient passed? And another basic: track your periods, and the Women's Health Practice site http://www.womenshealthpractice.com/media/pdf/menstrual_chart.pdf you...

Post-Endometrial Ablation Syndrome

If you have had an endometrial ablation and have developed symptoms of pelvic pain you might have post endometrial ablation syndrome. What is post-endometrial ablation syndrome? It is a constellation of symptoms due to entrapped blood or tissue within a uterus that has previously undergone an endometrial ablation. We are able to diagnose this at Women's Health Practic e but occasionally other conditions are causing similar symptoms. Other complications of endometrial ablation include pregnancy, risks from pre-existing conditions such as a polyp or fibroid, an infection of the uterus, or a pregnancy. If you have had a tubal ligation then it is possible that the condition could be post-ablation tubal sterilization syndrome. The ablation procedure is designed to destroy all lining tissue, but in fact there is no way to confirm the completeness of the ablation. It is thought that either residual or regrowth of the tissue is producing the symptoms of post-endometrial ablation syndrom...

You Have an IUD: But a Positive Pregnancy Test

Fortunately IUD pregnancy failures are rare. But if you have an IUD for contraception, and you get a positive pregnancy test, you probably ask yourself, what next? Well, make your gyno appointment promptly, this is a condition that is not typically an emergency, but it can be and it’s not handled over the phone or on a blog, or through self diagnosis! That being said, some researchers from University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas decided to look back at over 4100 women who had IUDs and of those 42 cases who became pregnant in their institution, over about a year period of time, to help understand what these women could expect when they got to their gyno and what actually happened to their pregnancies. Accurate pregnancy diagnosis, pelvic examination, and pelvic ultrasound were the cornerstones of the evaluations. They had very specific ways they looked at their ultrasound to prove there was no pregnancy in the fallopian tube, or partially in the fallopian tube...

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