Tag Archive for: ovarian cancer

Endometrial Cancer Care Disparities: The Impact of Rural Residence

Endometrial Cancer Care Disparities: The Impact of Rural Residence from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

What kind of care disparities do endometrial cancer patients from rural areas face? Expert Dr. Emily Hinchcliff from Northwestern Medicine shares her perspective on obstacles for patient care in rural areas and patient advice to help ensure optimal care.

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Related Resources:

Which Endometrial Cancer Clinical Trials Are Showing Promise

Which Endometrial Cancer Clinical Trials Are Showing Promise?

Understanding Endometrial Cancer Risk: Factors Influencing Incidence and Mortality

Understanding Endometrial Cancer Risk: Factors Influencing Incidence and Mortality

Overcoming Geographical Barriers in Endometrial Cancer Care

Overcoming Geographical Barriers in Endometrial Cancer Care

Transcript:

Lisa:

Dr. Hinchcliff, can you speak to barriers faced by rural endometrial cancer patients, those living in rural areas, and are there specific challenges that these women in rural areas face in accessing timely and quality healthcare services for endometrial cancer screening and treatment?

Dr. Emily Hinchcliff: 

Absolutely. So, when I think of barriers, I think that barriers can be broken into some really key steps along the kind of diagnosis continuum. So certainly, a patient needs to understand that the symptom that they’re having is a problem. Then they need to see that problem and seek care. Then once they have established care they need to obtain a diagnosis. And then once you have a diagnosis, you need to get treated. And so I would suspect that those living remote from major hospital centers or from subspecialty care probably experience delays at each single one of those time points.

First, I think a knowledge gap probably exists about what bleeding should be, especially for postmenopausal women. Postmenopausal bleeding is not normal. And so even a small episode of spotting should warrant a visit to your physician. And then I think for those who see their physician, who have a less kind of either geographic or less access for whatever reason, there’s probably a greater prolongation of the series of visits that are required before they get the necessary endometrial sampling and a transvaginal ultrasound, which are really core tests when it comes to diagnosis.

Once the diagnosis is obtained, I think that the further referral and potential delay to someone like myself, like a GYN oncologist, is also a key barrier for those who are rural. There’s actually a really good study in gynecologic specifically in the Midwest that showed that rural women were significantly less likely to receive care from a subspecialist like myself.  I think that particular study was in endometrial, sorry in ovarian cancer, but it showed that those who receive care by a specialist are more likely to get optimal surgery and to get guideline-inherent care. So getting yourself to that subspecialist, I think is really key, but can be difficult for women who live remote from subspecialty care.


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October 2023 Digital Health Roundup

Technology is a valuable tool for scientists and doctors to come together to treat cancer. Scientists are in the early trial stages of testing a newly developed implant to monitor and treat cancer in real time. A group of scientists are making groundbreaking progress in nanomedicines to treat cancer and other diseases. A new blood test has been developed to detect early-stage ovarian cancer with the hope of improving outcomes for patients.

Scientists Developing Implant to Cure Cancer in Just 60 Days- with Goal to Slash Death Rates by 50%

Curing cancer could soon be as easy as a few taps on your mobile, according to a team of scientists at Rice University who have received $45 million and funding a for a novel, implant-based treatment system that could cut cancer death rates by 50% reports New York Post. Scientists are trying to improve immunotherapy treatment with the use of an implanted device. The device will monitor the patient’s cancer and make the needed changes to the immunotherapy dose immediately. This device is a closed loop system that is chargeable and can communicate wirelessly. It provides real time information from the cancerous tumors inside the patient, allowing for quicker changes to the treatments. This implant is designed for peritoneal cancers such as pancreas, liver, and lung cancers. The first trial of this device is being tested on ovarian cancer; scientists hope for human trials within five years. Click here for the full story.

University of Delaware Researchers Develop Groundbreaking Nanomedicines for Cancer and Other Diseases

The University of Delaware’s researchers, led by associate professor Emily day, are working on novel nanomedicines. These are aimed at treating diseases such as cancer, blood disorders, and reproductive health conditions reports University of Delaware. The nanoparticles have specific chemical properties to help avoid being noticed by the immune system. They are sent to specific target cells to deliver treatment. This method of treatment helps reduce the required dose and decreases damage to healthy tissues. Scientists have made nanoparticles coated in biological materials like antibodies to help evade the immune system. This team of scientists is studying the use of this treatment to for other diseases besides cancer. Click here for the full story.

New Blood Test Detects Early-Stage Ovarian Cancer

High-grade serious ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is the most common type of ovarian cancer. It is also the most lethal form, in part because clinicians do not have effective ways to screen women for it during the cancer’s early stages, when it’s easiest to treat reports Technology Networks. With ovarian cancer, it is hard to detect a lump in the pelvis and difficult to do a biopsy. This makes it more difficult for doctors to choose a treatment option. This new test is a liquid biopsy using blood to determine if a pelvic mass is benign or cancerous. This test gives doctors more information prior to surgery, helping them to choose the best treatment. OvaPrintTM is the name of this new blood test. Scientists are hoping to use this as a screening tool to catch ovarian cancer early, leading to better patient outcomes. OvaPrintTM is testing the blood for a modification of DNA that is a biomarker for ovarian cancer. Scientists have used machine learning to develop a way to distinguish between benign and cancerous samples with very high accuracy. They are in the process of further studies before releasing the test for clinical use. Click here for the full story.

October 2023 Notable News

This month, education and research come together to treat cancer. The three hardest to detect cancers are broken down into the most common symptoms to watch out for. Scientific research has found that a strand of RNA may be the key to using our own immune system to treat cancer. A new immunotherapy has been created to use two mechanisms to enhance our own immune system to kill cancer.

The 3 Most “Undetectable” Cancers Revealed- and How to Spot Them Before it’s Too Late

Other forms of the disease can form and grow undetected for 10 years or more as one study found, making treatment that much more difficult. It’s not that these cancers have no symptoms at all, rather the initial symptoms are similar to that of other less serious health conditions reports The US Sun. The earlier cancer is detected and treated, the better the outcome. The three cancers discussed in this article are bowel cancer, pancreatic cancer, and ovarian cancer. Signs of bowel cancer include blood in stool or changes to bowel movements such as diarrhea or constipation. Some other signs of this cancer are sudden weight loss and abdominal or rectal pain. There are very few early signs in bowel cancer. In pancreatic cancer there is a very high mortality rate. Signs of pancreatic cancer are abdominal pain, back pain, weight loss, changes in bowel movements, vomiting, and jaundice. Ovarian cancer is a very common cancer and early detection is extremely important for survival. Most symptoms of ovarian cancer show in later stages due to it spreading. Signs to watch for are changes in bowel habits such as constipation and diarrhea. Click here for the full story.

Scientists Discover a Small Strand of RNA to be Key to Fighting Cancer with Our Immune System

A team of researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has shown how a single, small strand of microRNA, known as let-7, governs the ability of T cells to recognize and remember tumor cells. This cellular memory is the basis for how vaccines work. Boosting cellular memory to recognize tumors could help improve cancer therapies reports Goodnews Network. T cells get activated when a pathogen like a virus enters the body. The T cells then become killer cells to get rid of the pathogen. Most T cells die off, but some remain to be turned on later if that pathogen is reintroduced into the body. These memory cells live for a long time. This is how vaccines work. A small amount of pathogen is injected causing this mechanism to occur. Cancer causes the T cells to turn off before they can attack the cancer cells or create a memory of the cells. This allows the cancer cells to metastasize. Scientists are hoping that this new knowledge can lead to developing better immunotherapy treatments for cancer. Click here for the full story.

Double Trouble for Cancer Tumors: The Dual-Action Immunotherapy Breakthrough

Cancer immunotherapy drugs called PD-1 inhibitors are widely used to stimulate the immune system to fight cancer, but many patients either don’t respond or develop resistance to them. A new small molecule drug candidate being tested in an early-stage clinical trial aims to improve patient responses to immunotherapy reports SciTech Daily. This drug uses two mechanisms to slow the growth of tumors and increase patient survival. The small molecule drug increases immune sensitivity and immune cell activity. It blocks certain proteins, thereby making T cells and natural killer cells more effective at killing the tumor. At the same time, it makes the tumor more susceptible to the attack. Scientists hope by studying signal pathways they can find more advances for immunotherapy resistant cancers. Click here for the full story.

Dr. Ebony Hoskins: Why Is It Important for You to Empower Patients?

Dr. Ebony Hoskins: Why Is It Important for You to Empower Patients? from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

 Patient empowerment is a vital part of the patient experience. Ovarian cancer expert Dr. Ebony Hoskins from MedStar Health shares her methods for moving her patients to empowerment and her reasoning for her different empowerment methods.

See More from Empowering Providers to Empower Patients (EPEP)

Related Resources:

Dr. Heather Wakelee: Why Is It Important for You to Empower Lung Cancer Patients?

Transcript:

Dr. Hoskins:

I empower my patients by, number one, educating them on their diagnosis and providing information regarding any treatment options side effects. So one, education. The second thing, how I empower my patients is allowing them to ask questions, whether they think it’s an easy question or a hard question. So having an open discussion about what…

I empower my patients by educating them on their diagnosis, the treatment options, side effects. So number one, education. Number two, I think we need to have an open communication. So allowing them to ask questions, whether they think it’s an easy or a hard question. And another part of empowerment is making sure they have another set of ears. Sometimes the shock and awe of a diagnosis, they can’t hear everything that you say.

So having either a close family member or a friend that’s there for a visit that can kind of help advocate for them and also be a second pair of ears. I think it’s all important in terms of having a good trusting relationship to empower our patients, to let them know that they are involved in the process and also know that they have a trusting doctor that they can rely on for their care going forward.

Becoming Empowered and [ACT]IVATED After An Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis

Patient Empowerment Network (PEN) is committed to helping educate and empower patients and care partners in the ovarian cancer community. Ovarian cancer treatment options are ever-growing with new treatments, and it’s important for patients and families to educate themselves about testing, factors in treatment decisions, treatment types, and disparities in care. With this goal in mind, PEN kicked off the [ACT]IVATED Ovarian Cancer program, which aims to inform, empower, and engage patients to stay tuned in on the latest in ovarian cancer care.

Ovarian cancer can occur in an ovary, a fallopian tube, or the primary peritoneum – which is the thin tissue lining in the abdomen. Symptoms of ovarian cancer can vary widely and may include abdominal pain, pelvic pain, abdominal bloating, difficulty urinating, difficulty with bowel movements, or a growth or mass. PEN is proud to add information about ovarian cancer to serve more patients and their families. Cancer survivor and Empowerment Lead Mikki Goodwin interviewed expert Dr. Ebony Hoskins, a board-certified gynecologic oncologist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and Assistant Professor of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology at Georgetown University Medical Center.

Factors in Ovarian Cancer Treatment Options

One essential part for ovarian cancer patients to ensure their best care is to receive genetic testing. Dr. Ebony Hoskins discussed the importance of genetic testing. “…ovarian cancer can be hereditary. Approximately 10 to 15 percent are associated with an increased risk with family history. It is now recommended that any patient with ovarian cancer get genetics testing period, even if there’s no family history that they should be offered genetics testing.”

Dr. Hoskins stressed the importance of ovarian cancer patients to know their ovarian cancer subtype, stage of disease, organs involved, and plan of attack for their specific cancer. Empowering patients with this information can help them as part of shared decision-making. “…I look at it I, II, III, IV. In terms of treatment planning, we look at that and there’s data that look and say, “What are the best options for treatment in someone?” It depends on their stage and the grade. And that’s all kind of important in terms of treatment, but as well as for prognosis.

Ovarian Cancer Disparities

Studies show that there are disparities in ovarian cancer care and clinical trial participation. While both Hispanic women and Black women experience more barriers to quality ovarian cancer care, a study found that Black women were 14 percent less likely than white women to receive all treatments recommended by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines. Another study on ovarian cancer clinical trial participation found that Hispanic/Latinx patients and patients on Medicaid were less likely to participate in ovarian cancer clinical trials. Ovarian cancer patients and patient advocates can help educate themselves and others about these disparities to aid in efforts to spread awareness and changes toward better care and clinical trial participation rates.

Solutions Toward Better Ovarian Cancer Care

Clinical  trial participation is vital to develop effective ovarian cancer treatment for all patients. Dr. Hoskins shared her perspective about the importance of clinical trials. “…I always tell patients, the reason we know what to give you now, treatment is based off a clinical trial. So we need these trials. We didn’t just create a new drug and just gave it. We need to know, is it going to improve survival? What are the side effects? Is it going to kill the cancer? And so it’s important to be on the cutting edge if you will, of advancement in the field. The only way I know what to give patients is based off a clinical trial.

Dr. Hoskins [ACT]IVATION Tip

[ACT]IVATION Tip:

Clinical trial participation can often diminish the financial burden of cancer care. Dr. Hoskins explained some of the financial benefits and advice for patients. “The financial toxicity and sometimes coming under their trial, the drugs are covered, so you’re getting cutting-edge care that comes as maybe it’s not as costly to you, so I think, again, my activation tip for a patient is inquire with your doctor, “Am I a candidate for a clinical trial? Do you offer a clinical trial, are there clinical trials that would fit my scenario that’s local that I could go to? Are there clinical trials that are available, say, out of state that you think I will be a good fit for?” And sometimes…again, not every patient is a clinical trial candidate for a number of reasons, but asking the question, I think is huge.

Cancer survivor Mikki Goodwin shared her patient experience and the importance of empowering yourself as a patient. “Live on purpose every day, be your best advocate, record doctor appointments, you’ll never remember everything, so it’s good to be able to play it back, take one day at a time, rest when you need to rest that is part of healing, and stay hydrated. Having cancer is not a sentence to die, but a call to live intentionally. More than anything, stay positive, more than half the battle starts in the mind.”

[ACT]IVATED Ovarian Cancer Program Resources

The [ACT]IVATED Ovarian Cancer program series takes a three-part approach to inform, empower, and engage both the overall ovarian cancer community and patient groups who experience health disparities. The series includes the following resources:

Though there are ovarian cancer disparities, patients and care partners can be proactive in educating themselves to help ensure optimal care. We hope you can take advantage of these valuable resources to aid in your ovarian cancer care for yourself or for your loved one.

[ACT]IVATION Tip:

By texting EMPOWER to +1-833-213-6657, you can receive personalized support from PENs Empowerment Leads. Whether you’re an ovarian cancer patient, or caring for someone who is, PEN’s Empowerment Leads will be here for you at every step of your journey.

Ovarian Cysts and Uterine Fibroids: Is There a Connection to Ovarian Cancer?

Ovarian Cysts and Uterine Fibroids: Is There a Connection to Ovarian Cancer? from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

Are ovarian cysts and fibroids a concern for ovarian cancer patients? Expert Dr. Ebony Hoskins shares her perspective about fibroids and cysts, what she looks for in patients, and her advice to patients to ensure their best care.

Dr. Hoskins is a board-certified gynecologic oncologist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and assistant professor of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology at Georgetown University Medical Center. Hoskins sees women for gynecological malignancies, which include the treatment of endometrial, ovarian, vulva, vaginal and cervical cancers.

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Related Resources:

Sexual Health After a Cancer Diagnosis: An Expert Weighs In

Sexual Health After a Cancer Diagnosis: An Expert Weighs In

What Are Common Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

What Are Common Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer?

What Should Ovarian Cancer Know About Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapies

What Should Ovarian Cancer Know About Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapies

Transcript:

Mikki:

Okay, Dr. Hoskins, are fibroids or ovarian cysts related to ovarian cancer?

Dr. Ebony Hoskins:

So from a gynecologic oncology standpoint, when I see someone who has a documented uterine fibroid, I don’t think that it’s related to ovarian cancer. Certainly when I see a woman that has ovarian cysts, that’s something that potentially could be an ovarian cancer. But then I’m looking at whether it’s a cyst, whether there’s fluid. So there’s other characteristics in the imaging that I have obtained. So I think the question is, are fibroids and ovarian cysts related to ovarian cancer? Not really, but I think it’s important that we are basing this on some objective data, right? So I can press on someone’s belly and say, “Oh, that’s fibroids.” But asking my activation tip would say, “Hey can I get an ultrasound to look at my pelvic organs?” Not just randomly, but if you, if a patient feels like it’s fibroids, let’s prove it, let’s get an ultrasound. And that will look not only at the uterus, it looks at the adnexa, which is the fallopian tubes and the ovaries, and have an objective diagnosis for what’s going on in the GYN organs and pelvis.


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Sexual Health After a Cancer Diagnosis: An Expert Weighs In

Sexual Health After a Cancer Diagnosis: An Expert Weighs In from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

What can ovarian patients do if they have sexual health issues that arise during their patient journey? Expert Dr. Ebony Hoskins explains issues that may come up for some patients and patient advice on how to seek support. 

Dr. Hoskins is a board-certified gynecologic oncologist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and assistant professor of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology at Georgetown University Medical Center. Hoskins sees women for gynecological malignancies, which include the treatment of endometrial, ovarian, vulva, vaginal and cervical cancers.

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Related Resources:

Ovarian Cancer and Clinical Trial Participation: What Patients Should Know

Ovarian Cancer and Clinical Trial Participation: What Patients Should Know

Understanding Stages of Ovarian Cancer: What Should Patients Know

Understanding Stages of Ovarian Cancer: What Should Patients Know

What Should Ovarian Cancer Know About Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapies

What Should Ovarian Cancer Know About Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapies

Transcript:

Mikki:

Dr. Hoskins, can you speak to the sexual health following a cancer diagnosis, and which healthcare team member should patients have a conversation with?

Dr. Ebony Hoskins:

I think this is a great question. I think sexual health is something that goes undiscussed unless we ask it, and I think sometimes it’s uncomfortable for the patient, it’s uncomfortable for the provider. But I do talk to a lot of women that have decreased libido or pain, or there’s a lot of dysfunction sometimes after surgery or chemotherapy, and some of it is related to the actual treatment itself. Physiologic meaning how the body functions after treatment, and some could be the fact that there is shame associated with that, sometimes the cancer is involving a sexual organ in that area, and so I think bringing discussion up to your…whether the provider is a gynecologic oncologist and is the person who did the surgery, or the who person gave the chemo or the radiation oncologist. Also, there are mid-level providers who do survivorship, and it just kind of depends on who’s taking care of you after completion of treatment, butI know there are survivorships, and these are times to bring it up. Bring it up to your provider, number one, and they may have resources to refer you to in terms of getting through these difficult times, because I think ultimately you can get your sexual life back. 


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Ovarian Cancer and Clinical Trial Participation: What Patients Should Know

Ovarian Cancer and Clinical Trial Participation: What Patients Should Know from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

What do ovarian cancer patients need to know about clinical trial participation? Expert Dr. Ebony Hoskins explains the importance of clinical trial participation and key advice for patients who are considering participation in a clinical trial.

Dr. Hoskins is a board-certified gynecologic oncologist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and assistant professor of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology at Georgetown University Medical Center. Hoskins sees women for gynecological malignancies, which include the treatment of endometrial, ovarian, vulva, vaginal and cervical cancers.

[ACT]IVATION TIP

“…inquire with your doctor, ‘Am I a candidate for a clinical trial? Do you offer a clinical trial, are there clinical trials that would fit my scenario that’s local that I could go to? Are there clinical trials that are available, say, out of state that you think I will be a good fit for?’”

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See More from [ACT]IVATED Ovarian Cancer

Related Resources:

Hereditary Ovarian Cancer: What's Your Risk

Hereditary Ovarian Cancer: What’s Your Risk?

Understanding Stages of Ovarian Cancer: What Should Patients Know

Understanding Stages of Ovarian Cancer: What Should Patients Know

What is Ovarian Cancer

What is Ovarian Cancer? An Expert Explains.

Transcript:

Mikki:

Dr. Hoskins, why is clinical trial participation so important in ovarian cancer, and what advice do you have for patients considering a clinical trial?

Dr. Ebony Hoskins:  

One, I always tell patients is the reason we know what to give you now, treatment is based off a clinical trial. So we need these trials. We didn’t just create a new drug and just gave it. We need to know, is it going to improve survival? What are the side effects? Is it going to kill the cancer? And so it’s important to be on the cutting edge if you will, of advancement in the field. The only way I know what to give patients is based off a clinical trial.

Right, so that’s number one. The advice for patients I have is, I think understanding what the options are for treatment, whether they come off of trial. So knowing if I’m not on trial, what am I going to get? If I am on trial, what am I going to get? What are the side effects? Side effects is an important thing. What are the safety issues? Because not only are there side effects, there can be a safety issue. I think one thing that we don’t really talk about that could be there, is some of the clinical trials depends on who’s sponsoring it, provide the drugs, and some of the drugs are quite costly, so that’s something that we’re not talking about.

The financial toxicity and sometimes coming under their trial, the drugs are covered, so you’re getting cutting-edge care that comes as maybe it’s not as costly to you, so I think, again, my activation tip for a patient is inquire with your doctor, “Am I a candidate for a clinical trial? Do you offer a clinical trial, are there clinical trials that would fit my scenario that’s local that I could go to? Are there clinical trials that are available, say, out of state that you think I will be a good fit for?” And sometimes…again, not every patient is a clinical trial candidate for a number of reasons, but asking the question, I think is huge.


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What Should Ovarian Cancer Patients Know About Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapies?

What Should Ovarian Cancer Patients Know About Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapies? from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

What do ovarian cancer patients need to know about immunotherapy and targeted therapy? Expert Dr. Ebony Hoskins explains how immunotherapy and targeted therapy are used, research about them, and advice to patients.

Dr. Hoskins is a board-certified gynecologic oncologist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and assistant professor of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology at Georgetown University Medical Center. Hoskins sees women for gynecological malignancies, which include the treatment of endometrial, ovarian, vulva, vaginal and cervical cancers.

[ACT]IVATION TIP

“…asking ‘Has my tumor been studied, or has there been any sequencing to determine if they are a candidate for targeted therapy?’”

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Related Resources:

Ovarian Cysts and Uterine Fibroids: Is There a Connection to Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian Cysts and Uterine Fibroids: Is There a Connection to Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian Cancer Risk Factors: What Patients Should Know

Ovarian Cancer Risk Factors: What Patients Should Know

What Are the Subtypes of Ovarian Cancer

What Are the Subtypes of Ovarian Cancer?

Transcript:

Mikki:

Dr. Hoskins, what is the role of immunotherapy or targeted therapy in ovarian cancer care?

Dr. Ebony Hoskins:

So the role of immunotherapy, I think is still kind of ongoing. We’ve seen some improvements with endometrial cancer, not so much the same with ovarian cancer. In terms of targeted therapy, there are new drugs that are coming out that are targeting a different molecular markers in the actual tumor that are now offered for patients with ovarian cancer. And that’s been shown to be proven to work and improve the response and survival. My activation tip, particularly for patients who are affected by ovarian cancer, is asking, “Has my tumor been studied, or has there been any sequencing to determine if they are a candidate for targeted therapy?”

Mikki:

Thank you.


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Hereditary Ovarian Cancer: What’s Your Risk?

Hereditary Ovarian Cancer: What’s Your Risk? from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

What should patients know about ovarian cancer and hereditary risk? Expert Dr. Ebony Hoskins explains the incidence rate of hereditary ovarian cancer and shares advice about when it’s important to ensure you get genetic testing.

Dr. Hoskins is a board-certified gynecologic oncologist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and assistant professor of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology at Georgetown University Medical Center. Hoskins sees women for gynecological malignancies, which include the treatment of endometrial, ovarian, vulva, vaginal and cervical cancers.

[ACT]IVATION TIP

“…if you know someone who has ovarian cancer or if you’re affected yourself, make sure you have gotten genetics testing standard of care.”

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Related Resources:

Ovarian Cancer and Clinical Trial Participation: What Patients Should Know

Ovarian Cancer and Clinical Trial Participation: What Patients Should Know

Sexual Health After a Cancer Diagnosis: An Expert Weighs In

Sexual Health After a Cancer Diagnosis: An Expert Weighs In

What Are the Subtypes of Ovarian Cancer

What Are the Subtypes of Ovarian Cancer?

Transcript:

Mikki:

Dr. Hoskins, can ovarian cancer be hereditary? Should patients suggest that their family members undergo genetic testing?

Dr. Ebony Hoskins:

So, yes, ovarian cancer can be hereditary. Approximately 10 to 15 percent are associated with an increased risk with family history. It is now recommended that any patient with ovarian cancer get genetics testing period, even if there’s no family history that they should be offered genetics testing. I always recommend that an affected person, when I say affected person, I mean the person that have the cancer diagnosis get the genetics testing first. So sometimes I see patients where they’re…have several family members with, say, breast cancer, which could be indicative of a breast like a BRCA mutation, which is associated with an ovarian cancer. And come to find out they’ve had genetics testing, but they don’t have the gene for ovarian cancer. So again, it’s important that the affected person, meaning the person that have the cancer, get genetics testing. My activation tip for this is if you know someone who has ovarian cancer or if you’re affected yourself, make sure you have gotten genetics testing standard of care. 


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Ovarian Cancer Risk Factors: What Patients Should Know

Ovarian Cancer Risk Factors: What Patients Should Know from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

What ovarian cancer risk factors should patients know about? Expert Dr. Ebony Hoskins explains common risk factors and shares advice for patients to ensure their best care.

Dr. Hoskins is a board-certified gynecologic oncologist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and assistant professor of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology at Georgetown University Medical Center. Hoskins sees women for gynecological malignancies, which include the treatment of endometrial, ovarian, vulva, vaginal and cervical cancers.

[ACT]IVATION TIP

“…understanding the risk factors for ovarian cancer by also understanding the cancers that we know that we don’t have a screening for.”

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Related Resources:

Ovarian Cancer and Clinical Trial Participation: What Patients Should Know

Ovarian Cancer and Clinical Trial Participation: What Patients Should Know

Understanding Stages of Ovarian Cancer: What Should Patients Know

Understanding Stages of Ovarian Cancer: What Should Patients Know

What is Ovarian Cancer

What is Ovarian Cancer? An Expert Explains.

Transcript:

Mikki:

Dr. Hoskins, what are the risk factors for developing ovarian cancer?

Dr. Ebony Hoskins:

So, risk factors for developing ovarian cancer, I mentioned this, is genetics, could be genetics. So someone with a family history of breast and ovarian cancer, a BRCA mutation, Lynch syndrome. We also see it in women who are of later in age. Women who’ve had numerous ovulation cycles. Those are some of the risk factors. And I think the difference with, say, ovarian cancer is we don’t have a known precursor lesion to look for, to detect it early, if you will.

So it’s a little bit different than, say, some other cancers like a cervical cancer or colon cancer, where we can kind of find an early lesion and prevent it, with ovarian cancer we don’t. So these risk factors are kind of risk factors, but not necessarily diagnostic of it, if you will. So my activation tip would be understanding the risk factors for ovarian cancer by also understanding the cancers that where we know that we don’t have a screening for.


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What Are the Subtypes of Ovarian Cancer?

What Are the Subtypes of Ovarian Cancer? from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

What do ovarian cancer patients need to know about subtypes? Expert Dr. Ebony Hoskins explains ovarian cancer subtypes and shares questions to ask your doctor. 

Dr. Hoskins is a board-certified gynecologic oncologist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and assistant professor of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology at Georgetown University Medical Center. Hoskins sees women for gynecological malignancies, which include the treatment of endometrial, ovarian, vulva, vaginal and cervical cancers.

[ACT]IVATION TIP

“…understand the subtype, not only just the stage and also, kind of again, what will be the treatment options based off the subtype and stage.”

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Related Resources:

Ovarian Cysts and Uterine Fibroids: Is There a Connection to Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian Cysts and Uterine Fibroids: Is There a Connection to Ovarian Cancer

What Are Common Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

What Are Common Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer?

Ovarian Cancer Risk Factors: What Patients Should Know

Ovarian Cancer Risk Factors: What Patients Should Know

Transcript:

Mikki:

Dr. Hoskins, what are the various subtypes of ovarian cancer?

Dr. Ebony Hoskins:

Well, you want to get complicated. I’ll try to make it really simple. [laughter] So when we typically you may hear people say, oh, such and such had ovarian cancer, they’re typically talking about someone who has an epithelial ovarian cancer. There are actually two other subtypes of ovarian cancer. There’s sex cord-stromal tumors, and there’s germ cell tumor. And these are all kind of tumors based off of the origin of the cancer, if you will, from the ovary. When we’re talking here today, I’m going to refer mainly to the epithelial type of ovarian cancer, because that’s the most common type. The most common type is a high-grade serous carcinoma. There’s low-grade serous carcinoma.

There’s endometrioid carcinoma, clear, serous carcinoma, carcinoma sarcoma. So there are different subtypes, and how we treat them sometimes are the same and sometimes they’re different. It all kind of depends on it.  So my activation tip for a patient would be understand the subtype, not only just the stage and also, kind of again, what will be the treatment options based off the subtype and stage. 


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Understanding Stages of Ovarian Cancer: What Should Patients Know?

Understanding Stages of Ovarian Cancer: What Should Patients Know? from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

What are the ovarian cancer stages, and what do patients need to know about them? Expert Dr. Ebony Hoskins provides an overview of the stages and explains why they are important in both diagnosis and treatment planning.

Dr. Hoskins is a board-certified gynecologic oncologist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and assistant professor of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology at Georgetown University Medical Center. Hoskins sees women for gynecological malignancies, which include the treatment of endometrial, ovarian, vulva, vaginal and cervical cancers.

[ACT]IVATION TIP

“…for patients with a stage of ovarian cancer, understanding what the stage is, what organs that were involved, and kind of the plan of attack.”

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Transcript:

Mikki: 

Dr. Hoskins, what are the stages of ovarian cancer, and why is it important for treatment planning?

Dr. Ebony Hoskins:  

Well, stages of ovarian cancer, typically we stage cancers in four stages. Stage I, I would look at it very generally as a disease, confined to the ovary. Stage II is disease that’s in the pelvis, kind of below the pelvic bones in that area. Stage III can be disease in the lymph nodes or in the upper abdomen. And when I think stage IV for any disease, I think metastatic disease or distant metastases. So someone who may have an ovarian cancer and now we see liver lesions, that is a stage IV. Someone who may have an ovarian disease, ovarian cancer that is now in the lung, that’s stage IV. So those are the way I look at it I, II, III, IV. In terms of treatment planning, we look at that and there’s data that look and say, “What are the best options for treatment in someone?” It depends on their stage and the grade. And that’s all kind of important in terms of treatment, but as well as for prognosis. So my activation tip for patients with a stage of ovarian cancer is understanding what the stage is, what organs that were involved, and kind of the plan of attack.


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What Are Common Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer?

What Are Common Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer? from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

What should patients know about ovarian cancer symptoms? Expert Dr. Ebony Hoskins explains common symptoms that patients experience and patient types who are considered high-risk.

Dr. Hoskins is a board-certified gynecologic oncologist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and assistant professor of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology at Georgetown University Medical Center. Hoskins sees women for gynecological malignancies, which include the treatment of endometrial, ovarian, vulva, vaginal and cervical cancers.

[ACT]IVATION TIP

“…if you have any of these symptoms that are vague in nature, and you really can’t put your hand or on what it is, and it’s been going on for a week or two, pop into the doctor. There’s no, please don’t let it get to three months. Literally let it be no more than two weeks and then pop into the doctor.”

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Transcript:

Mikki:

What are some symptoms of ovarian cancer, and who is considered high risk?

Dr. Ebony Hoskins:

So the symptoms for ovarian cancer are vague, which makes it difficult to diagnose. So abdominal bloating, abdominal distinction, a pelvic pain, abdominal pain. Sometimes patients can feel a mass, difficulty in urination, difficulty with bowel movements. So these are some of the symptoms I typically tell someone, “Okay, well I felt bloated last night. I’m not talking about one night. Usually we’re talking over say, one or two weeks. Those are things that to prompt a visit either to the primary care doctor, GYN, or kind of whoever your provider is.

The persons who are at risk for are typically people who have a family history. So family history of ovarian cancer or breast cancer. Older women we tend to see it in women who are greater than 60. So you see that in an older age woman. But probably the biggest risk factor is genetics. Yeah.

So my activation tip, for patients would be, if you have any of these symptoms that are vague in nature, and you really can’t put your hand or on what it is, and it’s been going on for a week or two, pop into the doctor. There’s no, please don’t let it get to three months. Literally let it be no more than two weeks and then pop into the doctor. 


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What Is Ovarian Cancer? An Expert Explains

What Is Ovarian Cancer? An Expert Explains from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

How can ovarian cancer be explained to patients? Expert Dr. Ebony Hoskins shares how she explains the diagnosis to newly diagnosed patients.

Dr. Hoskins is a board-certified gynecologic oncologist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and assistant professor of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology at Georgetown University Medical Center. Hoskins sees women for gynecological malignancies, which include the treatment of endometrial, ovarian, vulva, vaginal and cervical cancers.

[ACT]IVATION TIP

“…my activation tip for someone who is newly diagnosed or may want to know more about it is distinguishing, whether it’s from the ovary, fallopian tube, or a primary peritoneal cancer.”

Download Resource Guide

Descargar Guía

See More from [ACT]IVATED Ovarian Cancer

Related Resources:

Hereditary Ovarian Cancer: What's Your Risk

Hereditary Ovarian Cancer: What’s Your Risk?

What Are Common Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

What Are Common Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer?

What Should Ovarian Cancer Know About Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapies

What Should Ovarian Cancer Know About Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapies?

Transcript:

Mikki:

Dr. Hoskins, what is ovarian cancer, and how do you explain it to your newly diagnosed patients?

Dr. Ebony Hoskins:

So, ovarian cancer sounds like it’s just cancer from the ovary, but really in a gynac world, it could be a couple of things. So ovaries are where a woman ovulates, and she has follicles and kind of where we have menses and hormones, but in terms of when we say ovarian cancer, this could also include a cancer of the ovary, the fallopian tube, or a cancer of the primary peritoneum. So sometimes we may say, oh, it’s ovarian cancer, and it could be a person who has fallopian tube cancer. We treat it the same, we stage it the same. And so that’s why we kind of use it interchangeably. So my activation tip for someone who is newly diagnosed or may want to know more about it is distinguishing, whether it’s from the ovary, fallopian tube, or a primary peritoneal cancer. 


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