Affordable Health Insurance

Ovarian Cancer Can Be Eased With an Affordable Health Insurance

September 6th, 2011

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month. Ovarian cancer is one of the leading causes of death in women around the world. It is the 5th leading cause of death in America and is projected to kill 13,850 women this year.

Ovarian cancer as the name implies starts in the ovaries. A woman’s reproductive system has two almond-sized ovaries. The ovaries are responsible for producing women’s hormones. Ovarian cancer develops when tissues who normally grow and die on their own, keep on reproducing without the older cells dying. This causes the tissues to build up and form a tumor.

Tumors can be either benign or malignant.  Benign tumors are harmless wherein they do not continue to grow and spread to to other tissues and harm them. Malignant tumors are cancerous. They are dangerous to your body because they attack other tissues and organs and they spread to other parts of the body.

The causes of ovarian cancer have not been established yet. The closest we have are theories. They say that a woman who has children has a lower risk of ovarian cancer. Researchers also noted that women who take birth control pills lower the risk of ovarian cancer. They also believe it’s hereditary. Families who have a history of cervical cancer run a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer.

Surviving ovarian cancer lies in early detection. However only 19 percent of women diagnosed with cervical cancer are diagnosed early. And the symptoms do not show in the early part of the illness. Symptoms include: a swollen abdomen, pain in the abdomen and pelvis, fatigue, indigestion, nausea, diarrhea and having frequent and immediate need to urinate.

Living with ovarian cancer is difficult and very expensive. Starting from the diagnosis, it will require numerous tests such as blood tests, pelvic exam, ultrasound and biopsy. It will also require frequent visits to the doctor. All these can cause you to lose your savings and even a property if you don’t have an affordable health insurance coverage.

The quality of care that they receive is dependent on their access to health and insurance services. But keeping the coverage once diagnosed with ovarian cancer is another challenge that patients face. Insurers do not accept the application due to pre-existing condition. Some who are already enrolled in an affordable health insurance find their coverage at risk of cancellation. Hopefully the health care reform’s provision to put an end to pre-existing condition can protect ovarian cancer patients from losing coverage. The reform also makes preventive care free from cost-sharing. This should make it easier for people to undergo tests/screenings that can detect illnesses such as ovarian cancer at their early stage.