Experts available to share tips on preventing ovarian cancer -
Ovarian cancer is the fourth leading cause of death among American women, with about 22,000 diagnosed and 14,000 die from the disease each year. September is the awareness month ovarian cancer and Mount Sinai experts share tips on prevention.
Expert Available for Interview
David A. Fishman, MD, director of the Cancer Risk Evaluation Program at Mount Sinai ovarian and Professor and Fellowship Director of Gynecologic Oncology Division, Department of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive medicine at the medical school in Mount Sinai Icahn
"There is no effective monitoring technique for the detection of ovarian cancer at an early stage, so that the only effective way to prevent and save lives is to identify women at risk, "said Dr. Fishman.
recommends that women with a family history of ovarian and breast obtain formal genetic evaluation by a board certified genetic counselor. for women who tested positive for a BRCA mutation or are identified as high risk of developing ovarian cancer, preventive surgery should be considered to remove the ovaries and fallopian tubes before ovarian cancer may develop.
facts about ovarian cancer
• About 75 percent of women ovarian cancer patients are diagnosed with the disease at an advanced stage. Only 15-40 percent of women survive five years after the initial aggressive cytoreductive surgery is performed to remove cancerous tissue from the abdominal cavity in combination with chemotherapy.
• Nearly 0 percent of women are diagnosed when the disease is still confined to the ovary (stage I) survive for five years. They also require less surgery, may not require chemotherapy and have a better quality of life.
• After removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes, the risk of developing ovarian cancer is close to zero and the incidence of peritoneal cancer is about. 1 percent
Tips for preventing ovarian cancer
• Family and personal history is important to identify women at increased risk: at least 10 percent of cancers of ovary are attributed to the inheritance of genetic mutations (such as BRCA, HNPCC), which increase the risk of certain cancers (breast, colon, endometrial, thyroid and melanoma). If you have a history of these cancers in your family (men or women), get your assessed risk for ovarian cancer by a board-certified genetic counselor
• Take oral contraceptives. The long-term use of oral contraceptives reduces the risk. of developing ovarian cancer by about 50 percent
• Watch for symptoms: Swollen or bloated abdomen; pressure or pain in the abdomen, pelvis, back, or legs; difficulty eating or quick feeling of satiety; nausea, indigestion, constipation or diarrhea gas; feeling tired; urinary symptoms; and any unusual vaginal bleeding.
New treatment
hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is an innovative technique used by Dr. David Fishman and other oncologists at Mount Sinai Hospital to treat ovarian cancer in women undergoing a cytoreductive surgery. HIPEC treatment combines cytoreductive surgery with chemotherapy "bath" which offers heated chemotherapy directly into the abdominal cavity for two hours. Chemo "bath" penetrates the diseased tissue, directly killing cancer cells remaining in the area, destroying undetected cancer cells and preventing them from forming in the new tumor while having minimal exposure to the body.
The Mount Sinai Assessment Program Ovarian cancer risk provides individuals at high risk of a full evaluation with a certified gynecological oncologist board and multidisciplinary services, including genetic evaluation (including analysis of BRCA), transvaginal ultrasound, experimental serum tests, and physical exam every six months. The program's goal is to identify and optimize care for women who are at increased risk of developing ovarian cancer and to develop new tests to detect women at risk and treatment options for women with ovarian cancer.
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