Common Corpus No. 15
For all women, for life
Welcome back to Common Corpus, our weekly curation of the best evidence-based women’s health content designed to help you navigate, optimize, and advocate for your well-being at every stage of life.
This week, we do a double take on a surgery that can significantly reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, with both an article and podcast on the topic. We also cover a new diagnostic test for endometriosis, the problem of medical gaslighting for patients with vulvovaginal disorders, and all you needed to know about UTIs, and much more.
We hope you find this week’s resources insightful, useful, and empowering as you navigate your own health journey. If you’re enjoying Common Corpus and finding it useful, please share it with anyone else who might be interested.
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News & Noteworthy
What’s making the news in women’s health
Why most ovarian cancer isn’t ovarian cancer and how it can be prevented
Medical guidelines now suggest that women consider opportunistic fallopian tube removal during routine pelvic surgeries as a preventative measure against ovarian cancer.
Clinical research indicates that many common forms of ovarian cancer initially develop as precancerous cells in the fallopian tubes rather than the ovaries themselves.
The Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA) now advises that average-risk women who have completed childbearing discuss fallopian tube removal (salpingectomy) with their physicians if they are already scheduled for other pelvic surgeries, such as a hysterectomy or tubal ligation.
Removing the fallopian tubes while leaving the ovaries intact helps lower cancer risk without inducing premature surgical menopause. This approach preserves natural hormone production, avoiding early onset of associated health risks like bone density loss and cardiovascular issues.
Because there is currently no standard, reliable diagnostic screening method for the early detection of ovarian cancer, clinical strategies have increasingly shifted toward surgical prevention.
The takeaway: Evidence showing that ovarian cancer frequently begins in the fallopian tubes has prompted updated clinical recommendations regarding opportunistic salpingectomy. This add-on procedure allows average-risk women undergoing other pelvic surgeries to proactively reduce their cancer risk while preserving ovarian function and avoiding the medical complications of early menopause.
New diagnostic tests for endometriosis
The NHS is set to introduce groundbreaking, non-invasive rapid tests for endometriosis in a major effort to drastically cut down the years-long wait for a diagnosis.
In new draft guidance, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended rolling out two non-invasive diagnostic tools, Endotest and EndoSure, across primary care clinics in England and Wales for a three-year evidence-gathering trial.
Endotest uses a simple saliva sample to detect specific microRNA biomarkers associated with the disease, while EndoSure measures electrical signals in the bowel through sensor pads placed on the abdomen.
Currently, the only definitive way to diagnose endometriosis on the NHS is through an invasive, expensive, and backlogged surgical laparoscopy.
The takeaway: This is still an evidence-gathering trial, and will not be available through all GP practices, but these tests hold the promise of faster diagnosis and treatment for a condition that currently sees an average diagnostic delay of over nine years on the NHS. And while these tests will not entirely replace specialist care or surgery, they can act as a triage tool for patients with “normal” or inconclusive ultrasound scans, fast-tracking them to treatment pathways much sooner.
And for a DEEPER DIVE ANALYSIS
The Latest Research
The latest in academic research in women’s health
Experiences of medical gaslighting of patients with vulvovaginal disorders
A recent study aimed to quantify adverse patient experiences for those seeking treatment for vulvovaginal disorders. Researchers found that individuals suffering from conditions like vulvodynia frequently have their severe pelvic pain dismissed by healthcare providers. This ‘medical gaslighting’ not only leads to significant diagnostic delays, but it also forces patients to endure prolonged physical suffering without effective medical intervention. A majority of patients included in the study had considered stopping care altogether because of clinician behaviour that was dismissive and invalidating. This can imply significant physical as well as psychological harm. Delayed diagnosis and treatment can, for instance, worsen secondary pelvic floor dysfunction, which can in turn worsen pain and contribute to bowel and bladder dysfunction. Beyond the direct physical toll, these dismissive clinical encounters can contribute to heightened anxiety, depression, and in some cases, suicidal thoughts among affected patients. As the authors highlight, behaviour is the element of care that is most easily controlled by the clinician, and so, even where clinical knowledge is lacking, limiting harmful behaviours is both easily controlled and can substantially improve the patient experience.
Listen & Learn
The latest in women’s health audio content worth your time
The permanent birth control surgery that can lower ovarian cancer risk
This episode of CBC’s White Coat, Black Art highlights a groundbreaking shift in gynecological health: the discovery that the deadliest forms of ovarian cancer actually originate in the fallopian tubes rather than the ovaries themselves. There is growing attention to “opportunistic salpingectomy”, a preventative procedure where the fallopian tubes are entirely removed during other routine pelvic surgeries, such as hysterectomies or C-sections, while leaving the hormone-producing ovaries intact. This can significantly reduce a woman’s risk of developing ovarian cancer without plunging her into early surgical menopause, but the procedure and its benefits are not widely known, either among patients or physicians. This episode aims to bring more attention to this procedure as an option for women undergoing other pelvic surgeries and who are interested in permanent birth control as a cancer-prevention opportunity.
What every woman should know about UTIs with Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi
In this “Ask Dr. A” episode of the SHE MD Podcast, Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi breaks down the complex anatomy and underlying causes of urinary tract infections (UTIs), clearly distinguishing them from vaginal infections and kidney infections. A key takeaway is the critical role of a healthy vaginal microbiome and hormonal balance, particularly how estrogen loss during menopause can drastically increase a woman’s susceptibility to recurrent UTIs. Dr. Aliabadi emphasizes that while evidence-based prevention strategies like D-mannose, cranberry extract, and urinating after sex are excellent proactive measures, they are not substitutes for treating an active infection. She explains the necessity of obtaining a urine culture for an accurate diagnosis, warning against the use of repeated, blind rounds of antibiotics that fail to address the root cause. She lays out the different approaches she takes to treating recurrent UTIs based on individual patient circumstances, ranging from localized vaginal estrogen to understanding proper hydration, to break the painful cycle of recurrent infections.
The Global Perspective
Women’s health around the world
WHO warns cancer cases set to soar globally by 2050 without concerted intervention
The World Health Organization warns that without urgent intervention, global cancer cases are projected to surge from 20.6 million to nearly 35 million annually by 2050 due to aging populations and evolving risk factors like obesity and pollution. The report highlights a stark, life-threatening inequity in women's healthcare access, emphasizing that breast, lung, and colorectal cancers currently represent the highest disease burden for female patients. While robust early detection programs in high-income nations screen 74% of women for cervical cancer and achieve an 87% five-year survival rate for breast cancer, survival rates for breast cancer plummet to just 42% in low-income countries. Ultimately, the WHO stresses that a woman's chance of surviving cancer should not be dictated by her geography or income, urging nations to integrate equitable screening, prevention, and treatment into universal health coverage globally.
Common Interest
Quick hits that we found interesting, thought-provoking, or useful this week
Why the vaginal wellness boom is so problematic for women’s health. LINK
Far from just a bodily function, it turns out that the hormonal fluctuations of women’s menstrual cycles actually physically resize the brain and make us more adept at certain skills, like spatial awareness and communication, at different times throughout our cycles. LINK
Patriarchy in the monarchy: male-only succession rules may mean the death of the Japanese monarchy. LINK
This 15 year old is fighting period poverty through sustainable organic pads made from agricultural waste. LINK