Detection of early symptoms could potentially lead to earlier diagnosis and to higher survival rates. In the article, Dr. Barbara Goff, Director of Gynecological Oncology at the University of Washington and spokeswoman for the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation described the symptoms that should signal to women and doctors to take further action towards diagnosis of the disease. She also authored several studies that characterize ovarian cancer symptoms. OCRF has funded some of Dr. Goff’s work.

The New York Times article was followed by an editorial on June 19, 2007 entitled “Symptoms and Ovarian Cancer,” that also discussed the need for greater awareness of the disease in both doctors and patients. It outlined the problem of doctors who too easily discounted the notion that a woman may have ovarian cancer, “dismissing the complaints of patients as being ‘all in their heads’ or as a sign of aging only to find out belatedly that an ovary was cancerous” (“Symptoms and,” 2007). The widespread dissemination of a list of persistent symptoms could have a very beneficial impact in alerting both patients and doctors that ovarian cancer is present in an early stage when it is most treatable – and reduce the number of doctors that were previously dismissive of patient complaints.

Read both articles here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/13/health/13cancer.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/19/opinion/19tue2.html