Transcript
Speaker: and you know, the newer cars, they like turn off, you know, like when you're at the stoplight or whatever. And usually I turn that off when I leave the house. Cause I find it very annoying and, um, I forgot to turn it off. So we pull up to this stoplight, the car turns off and it just died. And there's like people behind us, like honking at us. Cause the light turned green. She's like, mom. And I'm like, I can't literally can't do anything. Like we were just sitting here.
Speaker: This is on drivinging this is on call Wow, this would be really cool to just wear scrubs all the time. And you don't have to think about what you're going to wear to work. That is awesome. We're here to answer your questions. we can sit down and discuss them.
Speaker: Wait, I got to go. I'm on call. Wait, you're on call? i thought I was on call.
Speaker: Welcome back everyone to another episode of On Call with April and Alicia. I'm April. I'm Alicia. and we are back again on time. and but We are. i know we did a good job. Don't worry. We're still here.
Speaker: was another one and done yes we we made it we made it we made it our knuckles are bleeding and our knees are scab we crawled this podcast to make sure it was on time but yes we are here april how are you i'm doing good keeping busy you know as we mentioned last time kids back to school all the fall sports all the things so all of the rain All the rain and all rain. And sorry people on the West Coast, I know you guys are struggling, but all of the rain, all of the flooding, all of the everything. ah
Speaker: I know. a lot I actually have been walking for exercise these days. And I went out this morning for a walk and I checked the weather. It was like, oh, it's going to storm later. I'm like walking and it just like starts raining on me. I'm like, whatever. I'm just going to keep walking. Knock knock who's there. Mother nature.
Speaker: nature's in menopause, I think is what I've decided. So she's just going through and We got it. Just let let her go through her thing, guys. Menopause is real. Okay. That's true. That's true. What's going on in your world though? So you said you were walking for exercise, which is funny because why would you walk else for any other reason?
Speaker: Well, mean, I walk all the time everywhere I go, right? But like I'm... Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. I thought you were like, i'm just well I was walking for exercise. Well, I mean like... wouldn't walk for exercise. I used to run and i now I have transitioned to walking and yoga. I do walk. It's better for your hips here. Those are my two things. Yeah, well, and it's relaxing. I just go out and walk around.
Speaker: Sometimes I take Baxter. If I don't take him, then he's in the window yelling at me by the time I get back. Like, he's like, or you know, like barking. Like, he's so upset. So, cool but I take him every evening anyways, after dinner. And if I don't go fast enough, he's staring at me like, it's time to go. Like, what are you doing? He probably doesn't like getting wet, though. So enough Mother Nature with the rain. Bottom line.
Speaker: Yeah, bottom line. You got kids in sports. You got... Yes....fields. Ugh. and but I think, I mean, our fields are okay far. Without talking weather. I know.
Speaker: I know. But I did drop her off at practice the other day, and within 10 minutes, I got a text, oh, the lightning alarm just went off at the school, so now we're in the... We're hunkering down in the school. Yeah, because, yes, we do. There's a fire department, too, right there by the school, but there is a lightning alarm that goes off next to their school if...
Speaker: If there's lightning that area. Yeah. That's actually really good for sports. I know. It's very helpful for them. I've never heard of such a thing. Then they have to. I have like, tell somewhere, you know, my favorite channel in the world, weather channel, just this week, they were just talking about the lighting death. I need to be morbid, but just the deaths this year, like six from strikes and like most of them, the bulk of them, I think three of the six were on sports fields.
Speaker: Oh, really? That's crazy. yeah I mean, I will believe it. People like don't take it seriously. They're like, we really got to win this third grade lacrosse game. let's just keep them all out there because they're going to be...
Speaker: Like this, they're never going to forget the game or something. I'm like, i don't know, guys. It's third grade. Like, let's, let's calm down. i mean, we, yeah, we've been out there practicing and like it thunders and I'm like, should we go in? And it's like, yeah, you know, we'll just like go play play ear. And you're like, yeah. And i'm like, well, it's like in the area if it's thundering. need you to go back science and understand where thunder comes from.
Speaker: They usually go together. And usually is the noise produced by lightning. So well, all right. but Anything fun going on in your guys' world all besides walks?
Speaker: ah No, we just keep it busy, but I do have a funny story for you. so You know, my older daughter is, she's learning to drive. So she's getting my, you know, really luxury, like ah old minivan. So I got a new car. Hey! Yeah, that was like back in March. Don't pick me up.
Speaker: I know, right? But it's not fancy, but it's newer than my, you know, 14-year-old minivan. But anyway, so we... We were driving, we went to go somewhere the other day and I get in my car, which is, you know, like a new car.
Speaker: It, it's like dead, like it doesn't start at all. And I was like, what is going on? So like, we wait like 30 seconds. It starts. We, we go where we were going. We come back home and I had to go pick up.
Speaker: ah my younger daughter. So my older daughter comes with me and it's, um you know, every time in the car with her, when she's driving, it's always an adventure. Like I'm always like, okay, like, you know, teaching all the time. And so now when I'm driving too, there's been experiences that she's like, oh, wow, this is happening. So We go to to pick up my other daughter and we get to a stop sign and, you know, the newer cars, they like turn off, you know, like when you're at the stoplight or whatever. And usually I turn that off when I leave the house because I find it very annoying and um I forgot to turn it off. So we pull up to this stoplight, the car turns off.
Speaker: And it just died. Like there was no power to the car. Like I couldn't turn it back on. yeah And she was like freaking out. She was like, and there's like people behind us, like honking at us. Cause the light turned green. She's like, mom. And I'm like, I can't literally can't do anything. Like we were just sitting here.
Speaker: drivinging Yeah, i was like, for like 20 seconds and I was like, and then it comes back on. So it is currently in the shop, but it was just funny. Like we're sitting there at this light and I, and it's like the most infuriating thing to me when there's things that are broken that I can't just fix. Like it issues drive me crazy. And I'm like sitting in this car at this light, people honking, she's freaking out. And I was like, I can't do anything for like 20 seconds. It felt like the longest 20 seconds. a thing I had a, um I didn't even think about this, you said that, but it's that when you said, i don't, i what can you do? You just kind of sit there for a minute and there's like chaos. but When we went to spring break, i don't know if I ever told you this, but when I took the kids, I took the kids down and then they're friends. So it was not my spring break, but it was definitely theirs. And this like large suburban, it's full of all of
Speaker: their luggage, the three, four teenage girls, three boys, like it's coot, coot, magoot. We're driving down this highway. I'm going to call it 95. I don't know if that's right in Southern Florida, but to the airport.
Speaker: And whoever put the last piece of luggage in did not shut the gate. in back of the suburban. So going down the highway, the gate opens and out goes the luggage.
Speaker: And everyone just starts screaming. gosh. I got the luggage, I'm not going to luggage. And I'm like, what do you want me to do? Like, I was so, like, I think I was also so, like, done.
Speaker: Did you pull over? Like, what did you From week of kids. I just kept driving for a minute, because I'm also driving really fast. I can't just slam all my brakes when I'm in the middle lane. So I had to take a moment to just go, how serious is everything in that stuff? And do I have enough money to replace it all for everybody? Because...
Speaker: I just was like, I'd rather pretend it didn't happen and just get to the plane right now because I'm exhausted. But I think about 30 seconds to a minute later, like, okay, I was like, all right, let me get over. And then they're all going, but it's back there. I'm like, I can't go in reverse on a highway. Like, right I'm going to have to figure out how to get off. And thank God, truly,
Speaker: These couple cars stopped. It hit no one's cars. They had all grabbed all the stuff and met me before I ever had to figure out how to get back. That's really nice. They put it in their cars and brought it. know. Like, i I thought for sure I'm going to have to give my, like, at least exchange my insurance information at that point. Oh, yeah. Because I was sure I damaged the car. Yeah.
Speaker: And then, like, one of the girls, was one of Julia and his friends was like, I hope my luggage isn't messed up. And I was like, what? like hope your luggage isn't messed up. Your mother bought that luggage, toots. Like, ah relax.
Speaker: You might just get a brown paper bag to carry your clothes in the next time. Like, chill, sweet. You can put paper bags on planes. Okay. All right, so. That's hilarious.
Speaker: Well, that's wild. that And i'm I'm glad. Well, Molly got her first taste on how to keep it cool. Because parts do break down. they every Oh, sorry. Kirsten. It's just one learning to drive. How keep it cool.
Speaker: and Like, and how to keep your cool because do car things ever happen in convenient places? Nope. Yeah. I mean, I was always rush hour. It's always something. And it's always with the one child that has more anxiety than the most for me. Anyway, it's like, we're going to get me out of the car. Okay. I know. She's like, it's just like, mom, I'm like, i I can't do anything. Like we just have to sit here and just wait for it to reset, which, you know, it's just, it takes way longer in your head than it actually does. But anyway, of course. And it's every second feels like a minute. Yes. Speaking of every second feeling like a minute, we have talked for a lot um minutes, but we have a pretty, a pretty good topic that I thought we would talk about today in our typical fashion. But
Speaker: So September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. And today I think we should turn the spotlight teal. but That's the color for ovarian cancer. um But this is a cancer that we don't talk about a lot. At least i don't hear a lot about it. i feel like we're like a lot of breast cancer and then like men's health, prostate, things like that.
Speaker: But... This one's not talked about, and I think it's a bit misunderstood. it has earned a reputation as the silent killer. um But guess what we're going unload today is, is it really silent?
Speaker: And are the symptoms really easy to dismiss? Are they just stress? Are they UTIs? Are they constipation? Did you just eat too much food? You know? and But... Whether you're a patient, nurse, an APP, a doc, anybody listening to us, this is an episode that I think is important for everyone to listen to.
Speaker: April and I are going to go in our traditional form of fact and fiction or fake or for real. But this is just to do this in a playful way. but also to really share some really important information with all of you. And hopefully everybody gets something out of this episode. So we would also welcome your feedback on that. April, anything you'd like to add before we we step into our fake or for real?
Speaker: No, I think you covered it. I agree. I think it's one that we don't talk a lot about, but um it's, you know, there. And I think it's... um you know, we'll uncover, I think through our questions, just your point of, you know, is it easy to detect or is it not? And, and why? So. I don't separate the fact from fiction at the end of it.
Speaker: The whole point is to learn here. So, um and then, and unlike our normal fashion, April pointed out before we started recording, we, we aren't going to score keep on this one because we do want everyone to just dial into the information and we'll keep it lighthearted but this this one's this one's a little bit more of a serious topic so April yeah yeah all right well let's start with um risk factors let's start talking about those first so okay true or false women without a family history can get ovarian cancer true
Speaker: That's right, it is true. So um while inherited gene mutations can increase the risk, and the majority of ovarian cancer cases occur in women without any known genetic risk factors. um And so when we talk about what causes ovarian cancer, the exact cause not known, ah but researchers have found several factors that can affect the risk epithelial ovarian cancer. answer So those include older older age, um those gene mut to inherited gene mutations such as the BRCA1, BRCA2 and Lilin syndrome. If you start your menstrual cycle before the age of 12, starting menopause later, like a little bit, I say later, but I don't think it really is later, but after 52 years old, I just think of, you know, everybody I know that's my age is like perimenopause. Yeah. That's how all mother nature is though.
Speaker: I know. Yeah. No personal history of giving birth. Um, endometriosis is a risk factor as well as radiation exposure to the pelvis. Um, interesting so those are all all known risk factors. Um, there are some ways that you can lower your risk of ovarian cancer. So. Uh, 1 is that if you are undergoing a hysterectomy, instead of doing a tubal ligation, they can actually remove the fallopian tubes, which does actually significantly decrease your chance of ovarian cancer. Um.
Speaker: using a progesterone progestin containing IUD, which is an intrauterine device, um birth control, having children, breastfeeding, all those things do over time decrease your risk. um Some other things are Let ask you a question. No, I'm sorry. that i I found that interesting. So when you said remove the fallopian tube, is that what they call, ah did that come up any on your end, opportunistic salpingectomy? Is that?
Speaker: Have you heard that? Yes. like the right the rationale for people who just want to undergo the surgery just to prevent the cancer? have not heard of it as like a sole procedure, like, you know, where you just do the salpingectomy, but I have heard...
Speaker: of if you're getting a hysterectomy already to take the tubes as well. Like you can, a lot of times they, especially if it's a younger person, they will leave the ovaries so that you don't go into like an immediate menopause. um But if you take the tubes, the fallopian tubes during the hysterectomy, that does ah decrease your risk of immune cancer quite a bit.
Speaker: I forget the exact percentage, but it's more than 50% reduction. What was that? I said, no, sorry for the curve ball. I just was curious. No, it's, I mean, it's actually something I recently learned as well, um which I thought was interesting.
Speaker: I had never really thought about that. So yeah. Yeah. A couple other things that we haven't talked about yet in terms of risk factors are obesity. There's a link to higher risk of getting many cancers from obesity, including ovarian cancer.
Speaker: um And then hormone replacement therapy is another one that, It can relieve the symptoms of perimenopause or menopause, but it can slightly increase the risk of ovarian cancer. Wowzers. Okay.
Speaker: That was also a very long rationale. Sorry. For you. Was it too long? No, it was great. I was just thinking, oh she really did a lot. I just did a lot more questions than a lot of other rationales, but I was just, ah suddenly I forgot I was even on the podcast. I was just listening to you like, well, I have questions now, professor.
Speaker: No, was actually really good. Speaking of you're saying hormone, I'm going to piggyback off of that and ask you this question because I think that'll flow out. So one thing before you do that, I will say this. In people who are high risk, like high genetic risk, like known high risk, they may do the salping oophorectomy surgery, you know,
Speaker: for it to prevent disease. So when I say that I haven't heard of it, you know, in terms of people just doing that proactively, I think that's more in like lower risk patients. But if you're a known high risk, then that may be something that your physician would discuss with you. So I just want to put that caveat in there.
Speaker: All right. Okay. Well, go ahead and hit you your question but I don't have like a lot, like you covered pretty much in your dissertation. You covered a lot of the different areas that, that tinker around with my questions. So I'm actually going to be short winded for the first time ever on this podcast. And April gets to dominate. Cause I don't really have much of a rationale, just more of a myth or all right truth. So um for you on the back end of hormone birth control,
Speaker: pills are associated with a lower future risk of ovarian cancer, fake or for real? That's true. That's for real. Absolutely the reveal. um The medication called birth control. There are lots of different ways and lots of different ways birth control is prescribed, different ways that we use it, different types of birth control, different ah variations of hormones. But um they have been moonlighting this idea in the um cancer risk reduction space.
Speaker: Longer use of oral contraceptives have been associated with a meaningful reduction in ovarian cancer risk. And protection may continue even after that medication is stopped. Pregnancy and breastfeeding are also associated with that risk reduction. I think you mentioned something somewhere. um around pregnancy. But what I want to just harp on here is it does not mean everyone should just go on birth control solely prevent it. That decision depends like clearly on your age, your smoking risk, your your migraine history, clotting risk, other health conditions, personal preferences, et cetera. So please, please, please, this is not a medical advice podcast. We're not telling you to go get on birth control. But
Speaker: These are things that you can always talk to your OB-GYN or oncologist at that point about if you are in genetic testing or things like that for for risk reduction. But I just never believed that. And I'll tell you why.
Speaker: i always associated birth control with an increased risk of breast cancer. And so somewhere in my mind, i assumed that all female reproductive cancers were worsened.
Speaker: by the presence of additional hormone. So that was an interesting one to me. And um I have to imagine if I think that there may be even people in the field that to think that as well. Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah. That's a good point. Yeah. Yeah. great what' All right. What do you got next? Okay. True or false. A pap smear screens for ovarian cancer.
Speaker: Ooh. I'm going to say false. You are correct. And I think this one is super important. I was going to tell you why, but then I was like, I i don't want to mess it up. So you go, because you're right.
Speaker: It is important. This is really important. So, you know, we do our annual, as females, we do our annual GYN exams, which include pap smears and HPV testing. those are those will detect changes in the cervix that could lead to cervical cancer. However, it does not assess your ovaries or screen for ovarian cancer. So I do think a normal, ah like a common misconception is that, oh, I went and got everything tested and and that you're getting screened for all potential reproductive cancers, but that is not the case with that particular test.
Speaker: So there's actually not any reliable screening tests for ovarian cancer. um So There are a couple, like there is a blood test. So we, you know, I remember learning about this in PA school, CA 125, which is a blood test and it does, it does measure a protein in the blood that's often high in women with ovarian cancer and it can be used to track how well treatment is working, but it's not a reliable screening test. So um there's other benign conditions like endometriosis or pelvic inflammatory disease that can also raise that level. so um it is not It is not something that you know um is commonly used as a screening test. You can also do an ultrasound. you know If you're having symptoms and you're concerned about it, it might help find a mass or tumor if it's there on the ovaries, but um it's not something that we kind of routinely do as a screening measure. so Long story short, and there's not really any reliable test at this point to screen for ovarian cancer.
Speaker: And I'll piggyback off of that too and just say that um when diagnostic markers like CA-125, I giggled because I remember in earlier practice and I started on an oncology unit, um ah seeing that lab result and it was like, oh my God, they have cancer. You're like, oh, that's high. yes It was to me, it was absolute correlation. But um in context, like,
Speaker: you can interpret it, you have to interpret a CA125 in context of menopause status, in context of symptoms, imaging characteristics, disease subtypes, you know, prior values or, you know, pre-testing probability. But that is a tool that I have seen used when they're tracking treatment of a patient that is...
Speaker: that does have ovarian cancer, that they they do track those levels. But you're right, absolutely not prognostic. um I'm going to lead into another question, and I think it also piggybacks off of this very well. So I'm going to ask thinker for real, ovarian cancer is completely silent until it reaches an advanced stage.
Speaker: That's true. thank you Well, the word completely throws me off a little bit. but And I didn't actually throw that one in to be tricky. But when i think what but bothers me a little bit, and we call it the silent killer, is It is one that that has a lot of symptoms that can be a lot of different other things too earlier. yeah um it's It's a cancer. it's a wit like Think of it like as a whisper, or not a shout. you know It's kind of whispers tells you something's not quite right, but you might not just zone in on the ovaries. Possible symptoms early onset can be persistent bloating, you know pelvic or abdominal pain or pressure. That can be just with a full...
Speaker: um, colon, or that could be during sexual intercourse, things like that. Feeling full, in a feeling full, um, very quickly when you're eating food suddenly, like I'm full. I just had two bites. Typically I can eat a whole sandwich today.
Speaker: ah really only had two or three bites, um, difficulty eating in general, urgency, uh, urinary urgency or urinary frequency changes in bowel habits. And I'm talking about the bowel, Sometimes you have some constipation that leads to bloating. The challenge is that these symptoms are so common that they can just resemble constipation, they could just resemble menopause, they could be a UTI, it could just be something I ate type of symptoms. So for everyone, i think the important pattern is whether a symptom is new for you.
Speaker: Is it persistent? Is it frequent or is it getting worse? And not whether you've experienced bloating or experienced abdominal pain one night after a really large meal or one night, maybe after uncomfortable intercourse.
Speaker: i think, again, i want to reiterate, is it new for you? That is one of the best ways to track your symptoms. Um, And yeah, I think I don't really want to even get too much further in there. Cause I think it can get a little too muddy. I think stay there, track your symptoms, listen to your body, know when things aren't, when they're not right for you, not,
Speaker: April eats tacos and she doesn't get bloated, but Alicia eats tacos and she gets bloated. So that must mean like, I think I have ovarian cancer and April doesn't. like there's no There's no even clinical correlation or cross correlation to other people and how they how their symptoms present. Know your body, pay attention.
Speaker: Yeah. Well, and I think the key there too, is that if it's something that is persistent and a change, right? Like if it's something, like you said, not just like one day, but like you're noticing, oh, like I'm feeling like this a lot and I don't normally feel like this. Like that's when you should go to your physician and be like, hey you know, I'm having these symptoms. This is something concerning. And I found, I found for me when I'm bedside, you know, talking to patients or or trying to get a history if pain or changes in our body, we we brush off all the time.
Speaker: And especially women, we do this. If you're listening as a husband or as a partner or as a you know older adult child or you know maybe ah even a you know older teen that's in tune, I notice I have tendencies to go, gosh, I'm so full. Or, oh my God, my back hurts so much. like And I will i won't verbalize out loud pains or discomforts, but they do become to be normal for me. So there are ways that people externally can just start saying, hey, I've noticed you've been constipated a lot recently. And, or hey, like, I've noticed it.
Speaker: I keep saying sexual intercourse, but i think we need to be able to talk about that. It, that during sex is is painful for you now. And as a partner, I'm concerned about that. There are ways that your your support system around our support systems can also help remind us and help push us. But if for nothing else as a patient, when I say, hey, April, you know what brought you in? You're having this pain. I have this pain all the time. Well, what made the pain different? This time it brings you into the ER, it brings you into the hospital.
Speaker: If we start thinking about that, even as providers saying, is this new? Since it's been new, is it persistent? Tell me how persistent is it frequent or is it getting worse? And if it's been like, Oh, I'm used to it. I've had this for months that still can be new.
Speaker: and since So don't ignore a patient telling you as providers, don't ignore a patient saying I've had it for months. Not a big deal. Also as patients advocate, advocate. and And if you're really like, Oh, this could be nothing. This is just menopause. This is just age. This is paramenopause. This is just stress.
Speaker: um I have SIBO. I have, I have, you know, GERD. You know, we self-diagnose out of fear a lot of times. Ask yourself those questions. And I really do believe you can get in front of a doctor just by that set of questions.
Speaker: Yeah, absolutely. And i i do think you're right. Like we, part of us, I think a lot of times just kind of blows things off because we're like, yeah, we don't really want to hear bad news. We don't really want to know if something is wrong. um But, and I will say too, that, um you know, there,
Speaker: even though there's not, you know, screening tests that we typically like routinely do for this, um you know, those are mostly reserved for those that are like high genetic risk factors, right? Like that that's one that we would use the CA-125 or the ultrasound kind of prevent it like proactively. um The exam that is done by your practitioner when you see them for your normal, you know, your annual GYN exam is very important, right? Because they do that kind of bimanual exam and they are feeling your structures at that point. So if there is something in there, um you know that's that is what they're feeling for so it is still important to to see them but especially if you're having symptoms um you know they can do that exam and see if if maybe you do need to get some imaging done at the time so nice all right let's go you want to go run another round ah yeah let's go so i have one more another question for you
Speaker: So true or false, ovarian cancer can be diagnosed by imaging alone. o I'm going to say false because I think you have to have a biopsy, right?
Speaker: That is correct. So that is true with pretty much anything diagnose cancer-wise, any type really. So, you know, we can do imaging. There's all types of imaging that you can do, ultrasound, CT, MRI, imaging. you know, the whole gamut of of workup that we can do. And it it will show us that something is there. um But you really have to have a tissue diagnosis to make that diagnosis. So um and and this is true really with, I think, pretty much all forms of cancer, right, is that, you know, you see it, um whether you can see it with your eyes, and it's on the skin, or if it's inside your body, and we're seeing it with an imaging test, we can tell you, and I remember, you know, having these conversations with a patients so many times to say, and it's, such an unsettling conversation because you're like telling them something's wrong, but that you don't know what it is. Right. And it's just this kind of feeling of like, oh my God, like an impending doom, I think for patients at some points, but you know, we can tell you, Hey, there is something there. We don't know exactly what it is until we get in there and take a look. um You know, so whether it's like a needle, an imaging guided needle biopsy versus like a surgical ah biopsy, we do need to get in there and get that piece of tissue to give you a confirmed tissue diagnosis. um And then from there,
Speaker: More testing is done for staging and things like that. And then treatment plans are discussed with an oncologist at that point to figure out what the best approach is for your particular type of cancer.
Speaker: And, you know, that also lends way to the reason, mean, we can't diagnose it by imaging, but that also means like too much over testing, diagnostic, like preventive testing yeah really can lead to a lot of unnecessary testing.
Speaker: visits, procedures, like all kinds of things for patients too. So unfortunately, gosh, I really hope they're working on something. I should have looked that up ahead of this this podcast episode, but really hope that we get something. Yeah, yeah, that we're doing somewhere a little bit.
Speaker: Yeah. Well, look, youre that you are the expert on this one. I like this. I like this April. As opposed to the other one. Just kidding. Okay. My last question. There's really only one April, but okay. There's only one. Oh, there's two.
Speaker: Depending on if you ask people in sound, I'm April. So, that's true there's two of us. ah Okay. Last question. And you, you talked about this a little bit in your first question, but, um, I want to talk about another part of that. And this is going to be a faker for real for you. Faker for April.
Speaker: Many cancers labeled ovarian cancer may actually begin in the fallopian tube. Fake or for real? Oh. I'm going to say for real.
Speaker: Ah, yes, but that was a plot twist because I thought maybe you would go, it's fine. You almost got me on that one. Yeah, the ovary may be the crime scene, but it's not necessarily where a crime began is the way I think about it. So evidence indicates that there's many high-grade serious carcinomas. The most common aggressive epithelial subtype originate in the distal fallopian tubes for us. That's why ovarian fallopian tube and primary peritoneal cancers are often discussed and treated as a related group. And you were talking about that a lot in your first question. The name ovarian cancer covers several biologically different diseases. It's not one tumor with one single behavior. Did you know that?
Speaker: No, it I didn't either. It's not. And that is what brings up the discussion around opportunistic salpingectomies. That's usually with appropriate average risk patients that are already undergoing pelvic surgery or permanent sterilization or something to that degree. So they're not suggesting, hey, let's come in and pull your fallopian tubes out there saying, hey, if we're already in there,
Speaker: And your average risk, I don't know exactly where they are with it, but I know Society of Gynecologic Oncology is in discussions around this opportunity now. But yeah, that's where that question for you earlier came from is that's one of the things there they're looking at and trying to to modify for women.
Speaker: Yeah. yeah Okay, so there's no winner because everyone's a winner. If we can prevent anyone from getting... ovarian cancer or at least getting early diagnostic um screening and and treatment, you know?
Speaker: Yeah. But what are your thoughts, April? Anything? i was going to say anything stand out and you were about to say something. You read my mind. I know i did know where you were going with that one and we didn't talk about this or get to this question, but I did find it very interesting. Like as I, you know, was doing some research that because the symptoms are so vague and really they don't happen until you're a little bit later stage, um, only 20% ovarian cancers are diagnosed at an early stage. So, um, you know, really important guys, like, you know, our public service announcement for the, for this podcast is you know, make sure you're doing your
Speaker: make sure you're doing your annual visits with your physician, make sure you're listening to your body. And if you are seeing something consistent, that's abnormal or new, you know, just go get it checked out. It's always better to go and get checked out and it'd be nothing than, you know, that old saying better to be safe than sorry. Right. So listen to your bodies um and, and do your annual visits.
Speaker: Right. And I'll, I'll say, you know, the headline here for us, is not that every episode of bloating or acid reflux or you know painful intercourse is cancer, right? The headline is that persistent changes, frequent changes, they deserve attention.
Speaker: A normal pap doesn't clear your ovaries. A CA-125 is not gonna be a magic yes or no test for us. And family history, this is one thing we didn't talk about, but family history doesn't include your dad's side if we're talking about genetic screening. We do't don't inherit that just from mom. So know what is normal for your body. And if your body changes a script, say something.
Speaker: And if you're with someone whose body is changing and maybe they're in to not say something because... like That could be, and that could be difference between life and death, early diagnosis, or maybe even leading you to another issue. So just see so what they say in the the airport. See something, say something, see something, say something. So, um, and know your family history for sure.
Speaker: Absolutely. ah any, any other clinical pearls for you, April, before we ride into the sunset? No, I think we covered it. That's awesome. I like when we can still have fun.
Speaker: and really dive into a topic that I learned from. So thank you for what you brought today because I learned a lot from you even in this short amount of time. So thank you for that. If anybody else has some feedback on this episode, you know where you're not going to email us. Soundcallpodcast is soundpositions.com.
Speaker: but You won't email us there, but if you do, April said she's getting people war, whoever does it first is getting an award. That's what I heard. But you can also find us on our socials, Instagram. um We're on LinkedIn, Instagram, we're at on on call with April and Alicia, LinkedIn on the same. You can find us and listen to us on part on our podcast, on Apple podcast. You can listen to Spotify. You can listen on SoundCloud. You can listen pretty much anywhere, but YouTube right now, we'll work on that. But that's really all I've got April.
Speaker: Yep. I think that's it for today. So thanks for listening, everyone. And until next time, you guys stay well and we'll stay on call. Bye, guys. Bye, everyone.
