1. Survivors Teaching Students: Saving Women’s LivesSM

2. Introduction Part of national program OVCA National Alliance
called “Ovarian Cancer Teaching Program, Survivors Teaching Students”
STS is over 9 years old
Here to tell our stories
illustrate difficulty in getting an early diagnosis
illustrate our experiences after diagnosis
put face & voice on the disease
40 schools across the country to 3rd year medical students in gynecology rotation
with us today are 3 survivors
goal is to increase awareness of early symptoms of OVCA in order to provide early diagnosis and treatment”

3. Ovarian Cancer (OVCA) Overview
Definition: Cancer that forms in tissues of the ovary (one of a pair of female reproductive glands in which the ova, or eggs, are formed). Most ovarian cancers are either ovarian epithelial carcinomas (cancer that begins in the cells on the surface of the ovary) or malignant germ cell tumors (cancer that begins in egg cells).
OVCA most lethal of all gynecological cancers
1 out of every 5 reasons for cancer death in women
Annually, 22,000 American women are diagnosed & ~15,000 die
Median age for diagnosis = 63
Majority are advanced stages
10 year survival rate = 39%
No reliable screening test for early diagnosis
< 20% of ovarian cancer patients are diagnosed early
When it is detected, changes of survival are greatly improved
OVCA has symptoms even in early stages

4. Ovarian Cancer Statistics
A woman’s lifetime risk of:
developing invasive ovarian cancer = 1 in 71.
risk of dying from invasive ovarian cancer = 1 in 95.

5. Ovarian Cancer Risk Factors
Personal or family history of breast, colon or ovarian cancer
Increasing age, over 55
BRCA genes
5-10% of all OVCAs
Ashkenazi Jewish high risk for these genes
Started menstruating at an early age (before 12)
Had her first child after 30
Lynch Syndrome (hereditary colorectal cancer)
Never being pregnant (nulligravida)
Factors associated with a decreased risk of ovarian cancer include:
using oral contraceptives
having and breastfeeding children
having a bilateral tubal ligation or hysterectomy
having a prophylactic oophorectomy

6. Ovarian Cancer Symptoms
Bloating
Pelvic or abdominal pain
Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly
Urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency)
Additional signs
Fatigue
Indigestion
Feeling the need to urinate often
Back pain
Pain with intercourse
Constipation
Menstrual irregularities
If symptoms persist for > 3 weeks, consider that it could be OVCA

7. Survivor Stories

8. You as a future provider face obstacles
No screening/testing of general public
80-90% have no OVCA family history
Women don’t have general awareness
women accept these symptoms as part of the physiological cycle
When have negative Pap smear, everything is ruled out when it shouldn’t be
Symptoms are not specific
most providers look at other conditions that are less serious especially if the women are young
Fact that women are diagnosed & die shortly after is NOT true
50% of OVCAs had negative CA125 readings which also can be elevated in other malignancies

9. Conclusion We hope that you will remember us
Dangerous situation when diagnosis is not made until the illness reaches an advance stage
Lack of provider awareness
Lack of women’s awareness
Non-specific symptoms
Although the diagnosis is often not good, each experience is unique
You can provide hope when you communicate