Tag Archive for: ovary

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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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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What is Ovarian Cancer

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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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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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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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Related Resources:

Hereditary Ovarian Cancer: What's Your Risk

Hereditary Ovarian Cancer: What’s Your Risk?

What Are the Subtypes of Ovarian Cancer

What Are the Subtypes of Ovarian Cancer?

What is Ovarian Cancer

What is Ovarian Cancer? An Expert Explains.

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

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

Sexual Health After a Cancer Diagnosis: An Expert Weighs In

Sexual Health After a Cancer Diagnosis: An Expert Weighs In

Ovarian Cancer Risk Factors: What Patients Should Know

Ovarian Cancer Risk Factors: What Patients Should Know

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

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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?

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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