PCOS Review Newsletter #31

Natural Health Ideas for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
A free monthly newsletter for women with ovarian cysts or PCOS.

Issue #031      March 7, 2006 Bill Slater, Research Associate

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1) Is PCOS Linked to Ovarian Cancer?

2) Dietary Supplements Help Control Weight

3) Medical Therapies for PCOS

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1) Is PCOS Linked to Ovarian Cancer?

We receive inquires from women who are concerned that if they have PCOS or ovarian cysts, might they have a higher risk of ovarian, endometrial or breast cancer?

The medical research does not provide us with a clear answer one way or the other. However, the published evidence thus far suggests that you probably don't have too much to worry about.

The problem is that women with PCOS tend to have multiple hormones that are seriously out of balance with each other. For example, prolonged lack of ovulation with consequent continued secretion of estrogen unopposed by progesterone may enhance the development and growth of endometrial cancer, especially in young women. "Estrogen dominance" is also one of the risk factors for breast cancer.

There's no clear link between ovarian cancer and polycystic ovary syndrome. However, ovarian cancer is usually not diagnosed until after it has spread and is difficult to cure. It is commonly thought that ovarian cancer has few if any symptoms prior to reaching and advanced stage.

However, a recent study conducted by Kaiser Permanente has shown that women who developed ovarian cancer were more likely to complain of abdominal or gastrointestinal symptoms up to one year before diagnosis.

There are many possible reasons for abdominal or pelvic discomfort or pain. Although not likely, it could be ovarian cancer. In any case, if you have chronic abdominal or pelvic problems, be sure to consult with your physician without delay to determine its cause.

Sources:
Friedman, GD et al, Early symptoms of ovarian cancer: a case-control study without recall bias, Fam Pract. 2005 Oct;22(5):548-53
Gadducci, A et al, Polycystic ovary syndrome and gynecological cancers: is there a link?, Gynecol Endocrinol. 2005 Apr;20(4):200-8

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2) Dietary Supplements Help Control Weight

Obesity is rapidly becoming a health problem of epidemic proportions, bringing with it a host of health problems. A study conducted at the Bastyr University Research Institute investigated the association of long-term (10-year) use of 14 nutritional supplements with weight change over the past 10 years among 15,655 people 53-57 years old.

Among overweight or obese men and women, long-term use of multivitamins, vitamins B6 and B12, and chromium were significantly associated with lower levels of weight gain. The results of this study suggest that long-term users of certain supplements experience less weight gain than individuals who do not use the supplements.

In other words, people with a weight concern appear to benefit from the long-term consumption of dietary supplements. This is one reason why we offer a high quality multi-vitamin/mineral in our online store.

There is evidence of a number of other specific supplements that help women with weight problems or other PCOS symptoms. We'll review some of them in future newsletters.

Source:
Nachtigal MC et al,Dietary supplements and weight control in a middle-age population, J Altern Complement Med. 2005 Oct;11(5):909-15.

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3) Medical Therapies for PCOS

Many of you have asked questions about the various conventional medical therapies that are available for the treatment of polycystic ovarian syndrome and polycystic ovaries.

To hopefully answer your questions, we will be devoting an entire section of our site to this topic. We will be gradually filling out this section of the site. At this point, we have discussions of anti-androgen drugs spironolactone, cyproterone acetate, flutamide, and finasteride. The insulin-altering drug metformin is also discussed.

To learn more, please visit our Conventional Medical Therapies page.

By the way, we should point out that most drugs are very powerful foreign chemical compounds that "force" your body to do certain specific things. When they force your body to do something, there will always be unintended consequences. These unintended consequences are called "side effects". The term "side effects" is simply a polite way of saying that something bad is happening to your body.

In contrast, there are effective therapies that do not have side effects, including diet, exercise, stress management, nutritional supplements, and natural therapies such as acupuncture.

Always keep in mind that you have choices!

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Thought for Today: "Laughter is the most healthful exertion." -- Christopher Wilhelm Hufeland

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