Top Doctors: 5 fast facts on ovarian cancer
Among all the various types of cancer that can strike the female reproductive system, ovarian cancer kills the most women in the United States. It often isn't detected until it's too late.
But in many cases, treatment can allow women to live for several years or even longer.
Here's what you should know:
1. OVARIAN CANCER IS DIFFICULT TO DETECT EARLY ON
"Early detection usually means a better chance to eradicate the problem and minimize its reoccurrence," said Dr. Andrew Menzin, associate chief of gynecologic oncology at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset and Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park. But women with ovarian cancer rarely have noticeable symptoms early on, he said, and physicians typically don't detect it if there aren't symptoms.
"The ovaries are deep inside the female body, and they're difficult to feel," Menzin said. Also, he said, changes in the body that can lead to cancer may be hard to detect because they're microscopic.
2. KEEP AN EYE ON SUBTLE SYMPTOMS
"Ovarian cancer doesn't scream at you. It whispers," said Dr. John Lovecchio, chief of gynecologic oncology at North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center. "Some whispers are very subtle, like abdominal pain, urinary frequency, changes in dietary habits, change in bowel habits, increasing abdominal girth."
Some of these symptoms can be normal parts of aging, but women should get examined if they appear quickly and persist over three or four weeks.
3. YOUR GENES MATTER
"When it comes to prevention, the best thing to do is to identify whether you have a hereditary predisposition," Menzin said.
A family history of certain kinds of cancer -- including ovarian, breast and colon -- can boost your risk for ovarian cancer, as can having certain genetic traits. If you're concerned, "you should discuss it with both your gynecologist and primary care physician and seek a genetic evaluation," Menzin said.
Also make sure to let your doctors know about your own history of cancer, if you have one. The doctor might be able to prescribe birth control pills to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, Lovecchio said.
4. BE CAUTIOUS OF SCREENING TESTS
A blood test known as CA-125 is best used to track the progress of women with ovarian cancer, Menzin said. Some doctors recommend it to women as a screening tool to detect ovarian cancer, but he said it can miss signs of disease.
Lovecchio said the test is "useless" as a screening device because it can be misleading. "It should never be used for screening -- looking for disease."
5. TREATMENTS ARE AVAILABLE
Chemotherapy and surgery are the most common treatments for ovarian cancer, which frequently spreads. "Despite the fact that two-thirds to three-quarters of women with ovarian cancer are found with advanced disease, the overwhelming majority of women achieve a response to surgery and chemotherapy," Menzin said. "On some level it's remarkable, because we're talking about disseminated cancer having pretty good response rates. Yet the overall survival rate is not nearly what we would hope for."
This is the fourth installment of a 26-week series in which Newsday presents Castle Connolly's list of top L.I. doctors. Today: medical oncologists and gynecological oncologists
Gynecologic oncologists
Dr. John Lovecchio
North Shore University Hospital
300 Community Dr.
10 Monti
516-562-4438
Dr. Andrew Menzin
North Shore University Hospital
300 Community Dr.
10 Monti
516-562-4438
Dr. Michael Pearl
3 Edmund D. Pellegrino Rd.
631-444-2989
Medical oncologists
Dr. Birjis Akhund
Huntington Medical Group
180 E. Pulaski Rd.
Huntington Sta.
631-425-2280
Dr. Francis Arena
1999 Marcus Ave.
516-466-6611
Dr. Thomas Bradley
Monter Cancer Center
450 Lakeville Rd.
516-734-8900
Dr. Daniel Budman
Monter Cancer Center
450 Lakeville Rd.
516-734-8900
Dr. Rocco Caruso
2500 Nesconset Hwy.
631-751-8305
Dr. Marc Citron
Pro Healthcare Assoc.
Division Oncology
2800 Marcus Ave.
516-622-6150
Dr. John Fiore
Memorial Sloan Kettering at Suffolk
650 Commack Rd.
631-623-4100
Dr. Richard Gralla
Monter Cancer Center
450 Lakeville Rd.
516-734-8966
Dr. Alexander Hindenburg
Winthrop Oncology/
Hematology Associates
200 Old Country Rd.
516-663-9500
Dr. Bruce Kappel
40 Crossways Park Dr.
516-921-5533
Dr. Leonard Kessler
242 Merrick Rd.
516-536-1455
Dr. John Marino
2001 Marcus Ave.
516-883-0122
Dr. Bhoomi Mehrotra
Long Island Jewish Medical
270-05 76th Ave.
718-470-8934
Dr. Stanley Ostrow
235 N. Belle Mead Rd.
631-751-5151
Dr. Hasan Rizvi
180 E. Main St.
631-666-0262
Dr. Paula Schwartz
3003 New Hyde Park Rd.
516-354-5700
Dr. Barry Strauss
353 Meeting House Lane
631-283-6611
Dr. Frank Tomao
2001 Marcus Ave.
516-883-0122
Dr. Vincent Vinciguerra
450 Lakeville Rd.
Monter Cancer Center
Lake Success
516-734-8954
Dr. Jen Chin Wang
5 E. Walnut St.
516-889-7447
Dr. Rita Weiss
107 Northern Blvd.
516-482-0080
Dr. Lora Yung
Monter Cancer Center
450 Lakeville Rd.
Lake Success
516-734-8963
How they were picked
Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. is a health care research and information company founded in 1991 by a former medical college board chairman and president to help guide consumers to America's top doctors and hospitals. Castle Connolly's established survey and research process, under the direction of a doctor, involves tens of thousands of doctors and the medical leadership of leading hospitals.
Castle Connolly's team of researchers follows a rigorous screening process to select doctors on national and regional levels. Using mail and telephone surveys, and electronic ballots, they ask physicians and the leadership of top hospitals to identify exceptional doctors. Careful screening of doctors' educational and professional experience is essential to the committee. Not every good physician makes the list. Rather, the list is a way for patients to get started on their search for the best medical professional. Newsday is not part of the selection process.
Doctors do not and cannot pay to be selected and profiled as Castle Connolly Top Doctors.
To see the whole list . . .
Who else is on the list of Top Doctors? More than 6,000 listings are in the New York Metro Area edition of "Top Doctors," published by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. The softcover list price is $34.95. For more information, go to castleconnolly.com, or call 800-399-DOCS.
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