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With cancer of the ovary most women will not notice anything in the early stages. It can take a long time for symptoms to occur. When symptoms do appear, they can be vague and quite mild. These can include: Poor appetite Vague indigestion or nausea Bloated feeling Swollen abdomen-caused by build up of fluid called ascites Pain or dragging sensation in the lower abdomen or side Abnormal vaginal bleeding or discharge Change in bowel or bladder habits, such as constipation, diarrhoea or wanting to pass urine often Even though these symptoms can be caused by complaints other than cancer, it is very important that you have them checked out by your doctor

Most people who develop bowel cancer don't have a strong history of it in the family. The greatest single risk for developing bowel cancer is age. Our risk increases as we get older. Other risk factors for bowel cancer include lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise There are some families with a strong history of bowel cancer. This means : 1. One first degree relative who developed bowel cancer below the age of 45. (A first degree relative is a parent, brother, sister, son or daughter.) 2. Two or more first degree relatives on the same side of the family with bowel cancer at any age. Some types of bowel cancer that run in families can cause an increase in other types of cancers such as cancer of the womb, stomach, pancreas, ovary and kidney. So, if you have a relative with a bowel cancer and relatives on the same side of the family with these cancers, this may mean there is an inherited risk of cancer in your family. If you think you might have a strong family history of bowel cancer, the first step is to talk to your G.P. If your risk is higher than average you may be referred to a bowel specialist to discuss whether you should have bowel screening. Screening may be used to help to discover cancer early when the chance of treating it successfully is high

hi, last year i had a smear test done and the results came back Borderline Nuclear Changes, i had a repeat smear done a six months later which came back a few days ago as Grade 1 abnormal cells, and as a result have to have another smear in 6 months time. i am unsure as to what this means, am i on the road to getting cevical cancer??

Mesothelioma is a type of lung cancer. Your lungs are covered by two layers called the pleura. These layers are separated and kept moist by a small amount of fluid. The pleura are very thin and the fluid allows them to slide over each other with ease. This allows your lungs to expand and contract as you breath in and out. Mesothelioma causes the pleura to become hard or thicken and can cause a build up of fluid. This makes it more difficult for your lungs to expand and contract as normal, making it difficult to breath. Asbestos exposure is the main cause of pleural mesothelioma. When asbestos is broken or damaged it releases fibres into the air that are then breathed into the lungs. These fibres are very tiny and can reach into the smallest areas of the lung where they remain, too tiny to cough or breath out. The body attempts to break the fibres down and remove them unsuccessfully. This results in swelling in the surrounding lung tissue. The tiny fibres can also infiltrate through the lung and into the pleura where they can remain and slowly develop into mesothelioma. Those most commonly affected by asbestos exposure include builders, plumbers, electricians, shipbuilders. Symptoms of mesothelioma often do not arise for some years after asbestos exposure. Most patients will go to the GP complaining of breathing problems, this usually comes on gradually. Chest pain can also occur on the side of the tumour. Other symptoms include cough, loss of appetite, swallowing difficulties, weight loss, tiredness, hoarseness and sweating. Cancer Information Services National Cancer Helpline Freefone 1800 200 700 (mon-thurs 9am-7pm, fri 9am-5pm)

The main symptom of testicular cancer is a swelling or a lump on one of your testicles. There are a number of causes for swelling of the testicles but a solid feeling lump is more likely to be cancer. To be certain you are advised to see your GP if you find any adnormalities in your testicles Swellings in the scrotum (the sack of skin surrounding the testicles) are quite common and most of these are not cancer, particularly if they are separate from the testicles themselves. If your GP thinks it is necessary, he/she will arrange an urgent appointment with a specialist called a urologist for a second opinion.If you have any concerns or worries please feel free to contact our National Cancer Helpline on Freefone 1800 200 700 (Mon - Thurs 9 - 7, Fri 9 til 5 ) and speak with one of our nurses trained in cancer care.

It is important to remember that blood in a bowel movement does not always mean that you have cancer. There can be other causes, e.g. haemorrhoids or piles. Bowel cancer usually occurs in people over the age of 50 so if younger people experience this symptom it is usually due to other bowel problems such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or ulcerative colitis. It is important however to get this symptom checked by your doctor. Other symptoms of bowel cancer can include weight loss, a change in your bowel habit that lasts a long time (6 weeks), feeling of sickness, a bloated feeling or pain in your stomach. National Cancer Helpline Freefone 1800 200 700 (mon-thurs 9am-7pm, fri 9am-5pm)

Well, I am interested in hearing your story. How old are you? Where do you live? What type of breast cancer do you have? Which treatments did you get? For me it is quite interesting to see how women in other countries are teated. So I hope we can help each other by using this forum. Okay, my name is Sabine. I live in Germany. When I got the diagnosis I was 35 years old. Triple hormon negative, G3 tumor, 1,6cm. I had to go through chemo first (4x EC, 4x Taxan - just have the German words, sorry), then surgery and then radiation treatment (36x). In Germany women are sent on a socalled Heilbehandlung. You go to a place for about 3 weeks where you do sports and get special lectures on the subject breast cancer and things like that. It is to recover from the treatments and to make you get back into social and work life. That's what I did. I finished all my treatments in June 2007. In Germany women with breast cancer go to health checks every 3 month after their treatments were finished. You get ultrasound checks and every 6 month mammography on the side where you had the tumor. Every 12 month the other side is checked as well. I am looking forward to hearing from other women with breast cancer. Sorry for my English...

HIFU stands for High Intensity Focused Ultrasound. Traditionally HIFU was used as a secondary (salvage) treatment following surgery or radiotherapy, but evidence now suggests that it can be of benefit to men with localised prostate cancer. Suitability for treatment depends on multiple variables including PSA (prostate specific antigen), prostate volume, biopsy results, the tumour grade and stage, the individual's general health and age, specialist advice and patient preference. Unfortunately HIFU treatment is not available in Ireland as yet, but some men have travelled to the UK for treatment. To date the outcomes of HIFU are promising but further research with long term follow-up is necessary. If you are interested in HIFU treatment, have a chat with your urologist and ask if it is an option for you. For further information on HIFU, please contact the freefone Prostate Cancer Information Service at 1800 380 380 Mon-Thurs, 9am-7pm, Fri 9am-5pm and speak with one of our nurses trained in cancer care.

Hi there! Does anybody out there know if its okay to take Sage supplement for hot flushes while on Tamoxifen? I'd be grateful for any insight Thanks Resolute

Hi, I am new to this message board but am looking for help. I Lost my mum to breast cancer, it is coming up to the fourth year anniversary and I am still lost in grief, what is wrong with me, I know part of it is that I cant accept that she is gone I so dont want her to be