Cecily O'Connor
RedwoodAge.com

Economic worries are overshadowing boomer healthcare priorities, according to authorities who warn that women forgoing annual exams face a rising risk of ovarian cancer.

More than half of women expect the US economy will cause them to delay or skip their annual gynecological exams altogether, according to a survey by the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC). Many can't recognize ovarian cancer symptoms, reflecting a need for women to become more educated and focus on their health.

"These results are particularly troubling to the NOCC due to the nature of ovarian cancer...," said Carol Ansley, NOCC's chief executive officer.  "There is no screening test, so women need to be their own advocates and have an open dialogue with their health practitioners about persistent symptoms."

This isn't the first time health officials are warning about women's tendency to tighten health budgets when the economy is struggling. Nearly half of women have chosen not to seek medical care in the past year because the cost was too high, according to recent data by the National Women's Health Resource Center. Meanwhile, both men and women are cutting corners on prescription drugs by splitting doses, or missing them altogether, Consumer Reports reported recently.

Yet the need to avoid sticker shock can carry precarious health consequences - whether it relates to cancer or other chronic conditions.

Aging Challenges
At the core, the aging of the US population presents serious challenges.

The number of new cancer cases that are diagnosed annually in the US will skyrocket 45 percent in the next two decades, said researchers at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in the May Journal of Clinical Oncology. Elderly and minority populations are expected to see the most dramatic increases, researchers said.

Compounding the problem is a broken healthcare system that's facing a shortage of healthcare professionals

"There's no doubt the increasing incidence of cancer is a very important societal issue," said. Dr. Ben Smith, adjunct assistant professor in M. D. Anderson's Department of Radiation Oncology. "There will not be one solution to this problem, but many different issues that need to be addressed to prepare for these changes."

With respect to ovarian cancer, about 20,000 women are affected by the disease annually, according to NOCC. Older women are most vulnerable, with about two-thirds of ovarian cancer deaths occurring in females aged 55 and over, the National Institute of Health reported.  About 25 percent of deaths occur in women between 35 and 54.

Key to Survival
Even with the risk of death, many women are currently putting their health on the back burner amid a crush of economic worries. One in three women has not had a gynecologic exam in the past year, NOCC said. About 28 percent will skip the gynecologist and only see their primary care physician.

The trouble is, with ovarian cancer, early detection is "key to long-term survival," Ansley said. However, nearly a quarter of women get their annual exam only if they have a problem, and 14 percent will delay the exam altogether.

"Improved survival rates come from continuing to educate women about early signs and symptoms," Ansley said.

Those symptoms include: upset stomach or heartburn, unexplained weight loss or gain, fatigue, menstrual changes, pain during intercourse, back pain and constipation. Women who have these symptoms almost daily for more than a few weeks should consult their physician, preferably a gynecologist, NOCC urged.