How Well Can a CT Scan Identify Ovarian Cancer?
Ovarian cancer is one of the deadliest cancers because it’s usually not discovered until it has spread.
A CT scan is sometimes taken in women who have symptoms suspicious for ovarian cancer. (more…)
How Does Ovarian Cancer Affect Menstruation?
“Menstrual irregularities are a reported symptom of ovarian cancer,” says Robin Cohen, former oncology RN and currently the CEO and co-founder of the Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation. (more…)
Why Does Ovarian Cancer Cause Frequent Urination?
“Frequent urination and the feeling of having to urinate are two of the symptoms most commonly reported in women with advanced stages of ovarian cancer,” says Robin Cohen, former oncology RN and currently the CEO and co-founder of the Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation.
A number of conditions can cause either frequent urination or a frequent feeling that one needs to void, even though nothing actually comes out.
These symptoms should not be ignored. The cause needs to be investigated.
Of course, advanced ovarian cancer is one possible cause. But just why is this?
Cohen adds, “Typically, it is caused by a mass pressing against the bladder, causing the feeling of having to go to the bathroom frequently.”
However, this does not increase the total urinary output or volume come end of day.
The frequency of the bathroom trips is caused by the sensation of a full bladder, rather than a higher than normal volume of urine sitting in the bladder.
A woman with ovarian cancer will find that despite frequent trips to the toilet, her total urinary output isn’t much more than it has always been, relative to the number of all those trips — and in fact, there may be times when nothing comes out despite the urge to urinate.
Again, it’s the tumor pressing against the bladder that causes this sensation.
Urine is produced by the kidneys. Ovarian cancer does not make the kidneys produce more urine. A diuretic or “water pill” does.
The urge to void in the absence of a corresponding volume of urine can also be caused (and far more commonly) by a urinary tract infection.
Robin Cohen
The Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation, Inc., strives to fight for women who are fighting, speak for those who have fallen silent and provide for those working towards the end of ovarian cancer.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/Shidlovski
Can Spotting After Sex Be Caused by Ovarian Cancer?
A woman is not supposed to bleed or spot after having sex, and many women wonder if this could be a sign of ovarian cancer.
The more common symptoms of ovarian cancer include abdominal bloating or fullness, loss of appetite, pelvic pain or heaviness, and a frequent urge to urinate.
Two other symptoms that can be caused by ovarian cancer are back pain and leg pain.
Currently there is no reliable screening tool for this disease. Every year in the U.S. about 22,.200 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer, which has a five year survival rate of 47.4 percent, says the National Cancer Institute.
But what about bleeding or just a little spotting after engaging in sexual relations?
“Pain with intercourse is a reported symptom of ovarian cancer,” says Robin Cohen, former oncology RN and currently the CEO and co-founder of the Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation.
Cohen continues, “However, spotting after sex is not. It is also a symptom that is found frequently in the general population of women without cancer.”
Cause of spotting after having sex?
When a woman’s estrogen levels begin dropping due to the premenopausal phase in her life, she may start developing dryness in the vaginal tissue.
The dryness means that the natural lubrication that occurs during sex is not present in sufficient quantity.
Penetration, then, can cause tiny tears in the dry and unlubricated vaginal tissue, leading to spotting.
In postmenopause, a woman commonly experiences vaginal atrophy (shrinkage) due to the very low levels of estrogen.
Vaginal atrophy is characterized by dryness, lack of cervical mucus (the lubricant), sometimes pain during intercourse, and occasional spotting due to the tiny tears in the dry vaginal tissue.
Certainly, if you’ve been spotting during or after sex, you’ll want to get an examination by a gynecologist, but at the same time, there is no reason to panic about ovarian cancer.
Robin Cohen
The Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation, Inc., strives to fight for women who are fighting, speak for those who have fallen silent and provide for those working towards the end of ovarian cancer.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Freepik
Can an Ultrasound Detect Stage 1 Ovarian Cancer?
“An ultrasound can occasionally identify a mass as ovarian cancer but should not be used to rule out ovarian cancer if a mass is not detected,” explains Robin Cohen, former oncology RN and currently the CEO and co-founder of the Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation. (more…)
Food Poisoning without Vomiting, Nausea or Diarrhea?
Does food poisoning always cause nausea, vomiting or diarrhea or can all of these symptoms be absent in a case of food poisoning? (more…)
Do All Head Injuries Show on an MRI or Can They Be Missed?
How reliable is an MRI at showing a head injury?
Is it possible for a head injury to get missed on an MRI?
Have you been in the emergency room recently to get checked out for trauma to your head?
“Some head injuries may show on MRI’s but it depends on the types of injuries,” says Yvette McQueen, MD, emergency medicine physician and CEO of MedQueen LLC, through which she offers travel medicine, urgent care and nutritional consultations via telemedicine to individuals, executives and travel groups.
“When someone presents to the emergency department (ED), an MRI is not the first test done,” says Dr. McQueen.
“Typically, we will order a CT scan of the head to determine the most immediate life threatening causes in a head injury.”
The quick identification of a serious head injury outweighs the radiation exposure from the scanner.
“A CT scan will reveal the bony structures and a break in the skull bones (skull fracture). It will also show us if there is an immediate bleed underneath the skull or within the brain.
“The bleeding is caused when blood vessels are broken during the injury. The density (brightness) of the blood and shape of the blood will tell us what type and time of the injury also.
“Immediate and fast bleeding is an epidural bleed or hematoma. The bleeding is lens shaped and presses against the brain, causes swelling of the brain.”
This is an acute brain injury; the resulting symptoms are swift and major.
“The person will have become unconscious, ‘knocked out’ or dazed, have a period of return awareness; but soon passes out again as the bleeding continues and pushes on the brain.”
Not all brain bleeds, though, occur immediately after the injury. Sometimes there is a delay.
“The slow bleed, subdural hematoma, conforms to the shape of the brain,” continues Dr. McQueen.
“Both of them will cause nausea, vomiting, confusion, sleepiness, changes in pupils, headache, dizziness, sometimes seizures. The CT scan is the most immediate way to determine a bleed within the skull or brain.”
The MRI and Head Injury
“MRI is typically used to evaluate the brain tissue for injury, bruising, contusion or disruption of the nerve cells,” says Dr. McQueen.
“If someone has prolonged symptoms of a contusion or concussion (bruising) of the brain, then an MRI is ordered and generally not from the ED.
“The concussion will cause nausea, vomiting, mild confusion, unable to get the thought processes together quickly, recent memory deficits.
“An MRI will determine if the nerve cells have been disrupted and not communicating with each other to process the actions.
“Like any bruise on your body, it takes time to heal and that’s why concussions may take 1-3 weeks to recover.
“They determine the severity of the concussion as mild, moderate or severe by a physical evaluation and actions we have the patient perform.
“The immediate danger is disability or worsening of the concussion due to reinjury of the same; the reasoning why players with concussion should not have contact sport for 1-3 weeks after a head injury.”
Dr. McQueen is an emergency physician and “The Travel Doctor.” She is a speaker, author and consultant, provides wilderness emergency care training, and international teaching for the American Heart Association.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/9nong
Can an MRI Miss a Stroke? MRI vs. CT Scan for Stroke Detection
Ever wonder if an MRI, which is often given to those suspected of having a stroke, can actually miss evidence of the stroke?
“When someone is suspected of a stroke, a CT scan or MRI can be ordered of the brain,” says Yvette McQueen, MD, emergency medicine physician and CEO of MedQueen LLC, through which she offers travel medicine, urgent care and nutritional consultations via telemedicine to individuals, executives and travel groups.
Two Types of Stroke
“Hemorrhagic – bleeding: A blood vessel has burst due to weakening of the blood vessel wall (aneurysm) or severe hypertension,” continues Dr. McQueen.
Hemorrhagic stroke. Shutterstock/Blamb
“Ischemic – This is when a blood vessel is blocked due to a blood clot that has traveled to the brain (emboli) or increased clot building up in the blood vessel (thrombotic).”
This is by far the most common type of stroke.
“Once again, the CT will show immediate bleeding and the MRI shows bleeding along with brain tissue injury.”
Clot leading to an ischemic stroke. Shutterstock/solar22
Cause of Stroke Symptoms
“The stroke symptoms occur because the brain tissue is no longer getting blood supply for energy and oxygen and dies; therefore, causing the weakness, confusion, paralysis, speech problems, etc.,” explains Dr. McQueen.
“It depends where in the brain the blockage occurs that relates to the symptoms of the stroke; the brain has different centers for each action.”
In the Emergency Room
“When a person is suspected of a stroke, the team calls a ‘stroke alert’ in the hospital that frees up the CT or MRI and notifies the stroke team including the neurologist,” says Dr. McQueen.
“Some cutting-edge hospital centers will take the person to the MRI immediately with symptoms.
“MRI is not always available 24 hours at some hospitals; therefore the CT is the only immediate resource for the ED physician.
“Only with ischemic strokes, we have a four hour window to attempt removing the clot or open the blood vessel to supply the brain with blood; and reverse the symptoms of the stroke.”
The drug that’s used within this time window is called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA).
“The MRI will show active bleeding of a blood vessel, and a neurosurgeon will be notified.
“A clot or blockage in the vessel, they can be given a clot buster [tPA] or blood thinner to reduce or remove the clot; or if available, a procedure to thread a wire into the blood vessel to remove the clot.”
MRI vs. CT Scan
Dr. McQueen says, “It all depends on the location of the clot. An MRI will display the location of the blood blockage. It will not show the immediate damage to the brain tissue.
The brain tissue damage typically does not show up on the MRI until 24 hours after the event and 72 hours on the CT scan.
Therefore, a CT scan will miss an immediate ischemic stroke but reveals a hemorrhagic stroke.”
This is why when patients present to the ER with symptoms suspicious for ischemic stroke, they should first undergo an MRI, since this tool will immediately show whether or not there is a blood blockage in the brain.
On the other hand, some ER physicians will still order the CT scan only.
It yields much faster results, is more patient compliant (no “tube” to be lying inside of) and can easily show a brain bleed.
Ischemic stroke on CT scan. 0475ramosk, CC BY-SA
Ischemic stroke on MRI. Shazia Mirza, Sankalp Gokhale
A brain bleed may be the result of head trauma that an elderly person isn’t even aware has happened, such as knocking their head on a car door frame and forgetting about the event.
These brain bleeds are called subdural hematomas. A slow-leaking bleed is called a chronic subdural hematoma, and its symptoms mimic those of an ischemic stroke.
“The MRI/MRA will show immediate bleeding and blood vessel blockage but not the severity of the brain tissue damage for 24-48 hours,” says Dr. McQueen.
“The percentage of missing a stroke on MRI is low.”
An MRA is an MRI that entails an injected dye into the patient’s arm; the dye lights up on the screen, making viewing of the brain easier.
Dr. McQueen is an emergency physician and “The Travel Doctor.” She is a speaker, author and consultant, provides wilderness emergency care training, and international teaching for the American Heart Association.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/LightField Studios
Can Constipation Cause Men Difficulty with Urinating?
A man who has new-onset difficulty with urinating may immediately fear prostate cancer, cross his fingers and hope it’s only constipation.
- Difficulty with urination can present as a problem with urine stream.
- It can also be an issue of reduced urine output — fewer than normal trips to the toilet.
“Constipation can cause many men to have difficulty passing urine,” says Dana Rice, MD, a board certified urologist and creator of the UTI Tracker mobile app, which helps patients catalog daily urinary tract symptoms, medication and behavioral patterns, and offers personalized tips for UTI prevention.
Constipation is bad enough, but when difficulty urinating is tossed into the equation, it’s just one lousy situation. But it sure beats prostate cancer.
However, Dr. Rice adds, “Men who have enlarged prostates can particularly have issues.
“The prostate gland abuts the rectal vault, and if the rectum is full of hard or impacted stool it can place pressure on the urethra, making it harder to pass urine.”
A CT scan will reveal constipation and, if it’s interfering with urine output, will show this.
Sometimes constipation is so bad that it must be removed by a doctor’s fingers, and then the patient is given an enema to clean out the remainder of the feces.
Treatments and Prevention of Constipation
“Probiotics, high fiber diets and stool softeners are all ways to avoid constipation,” says Dr. Rice.
Probiotics are found in “live culture” yogurt and kefir, and in the form of pills. Foods high in fiber include lentils, peas, fruits and vegetables.
A sedentary lifestyle promotes constipation.
If you have a desk job, get up every 45 minutes or so and walk around for a few minutes.
If you don’t have a workout regimen, then start one. Excessive inertia is a risk factor for constipation.
For more information on the UTI Tracker, you can go to utitracker.com.
Dana Rice, MD, is with Inova Medical Group in Fairfax, VA, and her clinical interests include bladder, kidney and prostate cancer, minimally invasive surgery and robotic surgery.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock Syda Productions
Is Clear Jelly Discharge After Urination in Men Cancer?
A discharge of a sticky or jelly like substance with a man’s urination or right after can set off the cancer alarm bells.
Prostate cancer is a disease that can cause a variety of symptoms.
This cancer may come to mind, but so may testicular cancer. (more…)
