Five facts women need to know to stop ovarian cancer
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
September is Ovarian
Cancer Awareness Month
and NewYork-Presbyterian
Queens is helping to raise
awareness, risk factors,
as well as its symptoms,
that all women are at risk
of developing.
According to the American
Cancer Society, an estimated
22,530 new cases of ovarian
cancer will be diagnosed in
the United States this year.
Unfortunately, ovarian cancer
is difficult to detect, especially
during the early stages.
Dr. David Fishman, vice
chair of obstetrics and gynecology
and the director of
gynecologic oncology at New-
York-Presbyterian Queens,
believes there needs to be a
paradigm shift in how to approach
the treatment and
prevention of ovarian cancer.
“Ovarian cancer takes the
lives of far too many women
each year,” said Fishman, a
professor of clinical obstetrics
and gynecology at Weill
Cornell Medicine. “Because
of misdiagnosis and a lack of
awareness that all women are
at risk of developing ovarian
cancer, it is often diagnosed
too late. It’s important for
women to know their risk of
developing this disease and its
earliest warning signs.”
To detect early symptoms
of the disease, Fishman is
offering the following facts:
Know the symptoms.
Early symptoms are easy to ignore
and can include: bloating,
abdominal pain, feeling full
quickly and frequent urination.
Other symptoms include
indigestion, nausea, weight
gain, shortness of breath and
back pain.
Pap smears do not detect
ovarian cancer. Many
patients believe that a clean
pap test means that they are
clear of ovarian cancer. This
is not the case. A pap smear
diagnoses cervical disease
and is not a tool to diagnose
ovarian cancer.
Know the risk factors.
A woman’s risk of developing
ovarian cancer is about 1 in
78, according to the American
Cancer Society. One of the best
ways to evaluate your risk is
based on your personal and
family history. About 20 to
Dr. David Fishman, vice chair of obstetrics and gynecology and the director of gynecologic oncology
at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens, is helping to raise awareness about ovarian cancer that is often
misdiagnosed in women. Photo courtesy of NewYork-Presbyterian Queens
25% of women diagnosed with
ovarian cancer have a family
history of the disease.
Other factors increasing
a woman’s risk include infertility,
early menstrual cycles,
obesity and increasing age. To
determine if you are at risk
for developing ovarian cancer,
you should be evaluated
by a board-certified
genetic counselor.
Certain behaviors may
reduce your risk of developing
ovarian cancer. According
to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention,
women who use birth control
for five or more years, have
given birth or have breastfed,
or have had a hysterectomy
or tubal ligation are at
a reduced risk of developing
ovarian cancer.
Prevention of ovarian cancer
can also be achieved by
removing the ovaries and fallopian
tubes. Women should
speak with their doctor about
whether this procedure is appropriate
for them.
When detected early,
ovarian cancer is very
treatable. If ovarian cancer
is discovered early and it is
confined to the ovary (Stage
I), depending on the type of
ovarian cancer, theAmerican
Cancer Society notes that patients
have on average a 90%
five-year survival rate.
To learn more, contact
the NewYork-Presbyterian
Queens Cancer Center at 718-
303-3725.
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