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Defying Odds: A Quest for Early Ovarian Cancer Detection
Participating in a study reveals hope and surprising connections
Some days make you feel like you should buy a lottery ticket, thanks to coincidences that leave you asking, “What are the odds?”
Today was one of those days. I had my blood drawn for an annual study I’ve been participating in since 2017. The study aims to determine if specific markers can help detect ovarian cancer earlier in its progression.
Ovarian cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death in women and the deadliest of all gynecologic cancers, according to the American Cancer Society. About half of the women with ovarian cancer are 63 or older.
Unlike other gynecologic cancers, such as cervical cancer and breast cancer, which have routine screenings like Pap smears and mammograms, ovarian cancer often isn’t detected until it has advanced, usually by stage III or IV. And it can only be confirmed through a tissue biopsy.
Although it’s a rare cancer, its aggressive nature makes early detection critical. Gilda Radner, the beloved comedienne, remains one of the most well-known cultural figures to have died from it. Closer to home, one of my neighbors is a survivor, but her journey through treatment was grueling.
