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Ovarian cancer myths

Oklahoma women may have heard that talc products can cause ovarian cancer, but there is no scientific consensus that this is the case. Furthermore, a family history of ovarian cancer does not mean that a person will get cancer. On the other hand, people should not think that if they do not have this family history that they are safe from ovarian cancer.

Another misconception about ovarian cancer is that it can be caught with a Pap smear, but these tests screen for cervical cancer just as the HPV vaccine protects against cervical cancer and not ovarian. The tests for ovarian cancer that do exist are not very reliable, but others are in development that are expected to work better. A healthy diet, regular exercise, hormonal birth control and a hysterectomy all may lower the risk of ovarian cancer. It is not known what causes the disease although genetics and environment may be among the factors. Ovarian cysts rarely cause cancer.

Some people may think that ovarian cancer does not have symptoms, because the symptoms tend to be nonspecific and include indigestion, bloating, abdominal pain and rapid weight loss. People with these symptoms may be misdiagnosed and might want to insist on a test for ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer can be treated and in some cases cured.

People who get ovarian cancer and who believe they were not properly diagnosed by a medical professional may want to look into pursuing a claim for medical malpractice since this misdiagnosis could affect their treatment and prognosis. Some medical malpractice suits may be settled out of court. Two components that must be in place in a successful legal case are that the medical professional was negligent in some way and that harm was caused to the person by the error.