ASK

is that it's hard to diagnose early. And once it has advanced, it's difficult to treat.

Symptoms include abdominal pain, back pain, bleeding and bloating, which many women could attribute to having unpredictable periods or even menopause.

Some women have no symptoms at all, until it's too late.

I wish there was an annual test that doctors perform, much like a pap test, rather than feeling the ovaries from the outside, for any kind of mass. That seems a little too cursory for me!

I'd love to hear from anyone who has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer? What were your symptoms? How far along was the cancer? How are you doing now?

I met a woman this morning who suddenly felt overheated in a chilly air conditioned room. I was wearing a summer weight cotton sweater and felt comfortable, if not a little cold. She confided in me that, ever since her hysterectomy as a result of ovarian cancer, she's having a terrible time adjusting to all the hormonal changes in her body, for which she can't take any medication. She said she feels so desperate that she's going to try acupuncture.

This made me wonder: has acupuncture worked for anyone suffering menopause-like symptoms?