NOTE TO NEWS MEDIA: The Healthy Woman's Symposium will take place Thursday, Oct. 21, at the Warwick Hotel, 5701 Main St. Reporters are invited to do pre-symposium interviews and/or attend this session for same-day coverage.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kathryn Wiley, 713/792-3457
[email protected]
Families learn to fight cancer together
HOUSTON--Cancer is a family disease. The way families cope with it often can make the difference between life and death.
The Blanton--Davis Ovarian Cancer Research Program at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center is working with families of cancer patients to find ways of detecting disease in an early stage and perhaps preventing it altogether.
Such research in ovarian cancer will be among the topics discussed at The Healthy Woman's Symposium hosted by M. D. Anderson Thursday, Oct. 21, at the Warwick Hotel, 5701 Main St. Other popular topics will focus on preventative activities.
Florence Kern is an 80-year-old grandmother of five and great grandmother of two. Since her diagnosis with stage IV ovarian cancer in 1995, her daughters Joy Pulaski and Lisa Friedlander have embarked on a cancer prevention campaign for themselves, as well as the other females in their family and their friends.
"Right after mother's surgery, Joy and I went through M. D. Anderson's ovarian cancer screening program and received genetic testing and counseling," said Friedlander. "We found out that, although we don't have the ovarian cancer gene mutation, having a first-degree relative with the disease means that we are at increased risk of developing it. So in addition to the standard annual pelvic exam, we now receive the CA 125 test and a pelvic ultrasound."
"Women routinely get mammograms, and they should also routinely get a CA 125 blood test," added Pulaski.
Ovarian cancer offers few early warning signs, and currently there is no accurate screening tool, according to Dr. David Gershenson, director of the Blanton-Davis Ovarian Cancer Research Program and professor of gynecology at M. D. Anderson.
"Although the CA 125 test is a good indicator of an abnormality in the peritoneum, it is not specific for ovarian cancer. Research is under way to develop a more effective screening tool, but until that time, our current philosophy is that women at risk of developing ovarian cancer (those with a close female relative with the disease) should participate in a screening program."
Such a program includes: a personal risk analysis, genetic screening and counseling, the
CA 125 blood test, a transvaginal ultrasound and a pelvic examination. To date, only the latter is performed routinely in gynecologic offices. For more information about M. D. Anderson's screening program, call (713) 792-6864.
"Our mother has always been conscientious about her annual check-ups, and we believe that if she had received more thorough testing, her disease would have been diagnosed before it reached an advanced stage," Pulaski said.
Sponsored by the Blanton--Davis Ovarian Cancer Research Program, The Healthy Woman's Symposium features former first lady Barbara Bush as the keynote presenter and will provide timely information for healthy women as well as persons living with cancer.
Additional speakers include Toronto physician and best-selling author Robert Buckman and experts from M. D. Anderson and other Texas Medical Center health organizations. Program topics include: acupuncture, plastic surgery, complementary and alternative medicine, the latest breast and ovarian cancer prevention and screening information and updates on clinical research to advance treatment of breast and ovarian cancers.
A $50 registration fee includes lunch. The program begins at 9 a.m. and ends at 2 p.m. For more information about the symposium or to register, call (713) 792-2222.
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10/8/99
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