Trans Man ovarian cancer

Trans social worker promotes gender awareness during virtual cancer care conference in St. John's

https://tinyurl.com/y6bxcw4f

         It is important for health care providers to understand the special challenges faced by trans patients who develop ovarian cancer. As with all patients there are individual requirements with regard to privacy and respect.

         Fortunately there has been great improvement in appreciation of the special needs for these patients, who often have stressful interactions with health care, resulting from their gender dysphoria.

         This article describes the experience of a trans man ovarian cancer patient and his coping strategies and tactics, with a link to his blog site.

https://tinyurl.com/y6g4xqbh

Tall women greater risk

Ovarian Cancer and Body Size

https://tinyurl.com/y4nfatfg

         This review looked at body size and height of women compared to their risk of ovarian cancer. All available literature was examined with more than 25,000 women who had ovarian cancer compared to more than 81,000 women who did not.

         The risk of developing ovarian cancer increased significantly with height and body mass index (BMI) changes. The elevated relative risk was 1.07 for each 5cm increase in height above 160cm.

         The effect of a rise in BMI was different for women who had previously had hormone replacement therapy (HRT) compared to those who had not. For women who had not had HRT,  the increased risk of ovarian cancer for every 5kg/m² above normal in BMI, was 1.10. Those women who had previously had HRT showed no change in risk of ovarian cancer despite elevation of the BMI.

         The authors note that because of better nutrition, women everywhere are growing taller, this could increase ovarian cancer incidence by 3% per decade.

HRT improves survival

Menopausal hormone therapy prior to the diagnosis of ovarian cancer is associated with improved survival

https://tinyurl.com/y945wwo6

         This multi-centric study from Europe, North America and Australasia looked at more than 6000 women who had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The use of hormone replacement therapy prior to diagnosis and the survival were measured.

         The type of hormone therapy; whether oestrogen only or combined oestrogen/progesterone was recorded. The duration of the hormone replacement was also available.

         The results show that taking both oestrogen only or combined therapy, for 5 years or more before diagnosis, improved survival by 20%.

Exercise is good

Physical activity and exercise in women with ovarian cancer: A systematic review

https://tinyurl.com/y9pb2va8

         The evidence is that exercise and physical activity is beneficial for cancer patients. This review from Queensland Australia looked at the amount of physical activity women took after diagnosis of ovarian cancer and the outcomes. 

         The available literature was reviewed; most women reduced the amount of exercise after diagnosis. Those women who returned to pre-diagnosis levels of exercise, or increased their activity, reported higher quality of life and less anxiety and depression.

         The authors suggested that measures to improve physical activity and encourage participation would result in better outcomes for ovarian cancer patients. A controlled trial is appropriate to confirm this.

A logical fallacy

Statins could reduce ovarian cancer risk by 40 per cent

https://tinyurl.com/y9u2l7xr

         There has been a recent beat-up in the media with a suggestion that statins drugs may reduce ovarian cancer. This statement appears to be a false premise or logical fallacy.

         Statins are one of the most commonly prescribed drugs, with almost 30% of the American adult population taking statins to reduce the risk of coronary artery disease. Statins reduce circulating lipoproteins by inhibition of a co-enzyme; in addition there is a side effect of increased cell death, which may have some protective effect against cancer.

         A recent article* states that women who have a genetic deficiency of the same co-enzyme have a 40% decreased risk of developing ovarian cancer. The study has been misinterpreted in that taking oral statins would have the same effect. This is yet to be proved.

*  https://tinyurl.com/ycbh2goe