Reproductive Cancer Awareness Month - It's Not too Late to Celebrate and Educate
Scotch Plains, NJ (PRWEB) September 30, 2013 -- September is recognized by many organizations such as the American Cancer Society (http://www.cancer.org/myacs) as the Reproductive Cancer Awareness month in an effort to educate and inform the public. With the awareness month covering both ovarian and prostate cancers, it’s the perfect time of year for patients to see their urologists and gynecologists to make sure that everything checks out okay. Manisha Abeysinghe of Advanced Obstetrics and Gynecology, LLC and Dr. Robert J. Rubino of The Rubino OB/GYN Group are approved NJ Top Doctors who understand the importance of spreading reproductive cancer awareness this September.
Gynecologic Cancer is cancer of the female reproductive system, which includes cervical cancer, endometrial/uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, vaginal cancer, vulvar cancer and peritoneal cancer. In the last two decades, considerable gains have been made in the detection and treatment of these cancers. When detected in the early stages, most gynecologic cancers have a good cure rate (http://www.cpmc.org/services/women). For those that don’t keep up with the statistics, they can come as a pretty big surprise.
Ovarian cancer is often called the disease that "whispers" because it has few early symptoms and is most often detected in its advanced stages when it has become less treatable and widespread. Partly because of this, the mortality rate from ovarian cancer exceeds that for all other gynecologic cancers combined and is the fourth most frequent cause of death in women in the United States. Approximately 70% of the women diagnosed with ovarian cancer have advanced stages of the disease and about one in 70 women in the United States will develop ovarian cancer. It can occur at any age, even in childhood, but is most common after menopause. The disease accounts for about 20,000 new cases and 12,500 deaths in the United States annually (http://www.cpmc.org/services/women). Some of the risk factors for developing ovarian cancer include previous diagnosis of breast cancer, family history of ovarian cancer, early menses, late menopause, and no children. Many women are under the false impression that the Pap Smear test detects ovarian cancer, which it does not. In fact, there is no reliable diagnostic test for the cancer at the moment. Women must be aware of what their bodies might be telling them, schedule yearly visits with their physicians, and look into their family history. NJ Top Doctor, Dr. Manisha Abeysinghe, says she offers “AIUM accredited ultrasounds by well-trained and experienced ultrasonographers in all of our office locations to help facilitate diagnosing symptoms that may be related to gynecologic cancers. In addition, we perform in-office biopsies easily and efficiently. We recommend routine annual screenings to help patients understand their risk factors for gynecological cancers.”
NJ Top Doctor Dr. Robert J. Rubino says, “I am optimistic and hopeful for a reliable diagnostic test for ovarian cancer and to continue to replace traditional operations with non-invasive, in-office solutions that help cure women’s health issues. These non-invasive solutions have proven to harness the body’s natural inflammatory response to counteract disease.” Dr. Rubino would most likely be delighted to hear that only days after his statement, The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund released a news article titled “Promising New Approach for Early Detection of Ovarian Cancer”. It states that researchers at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston have published new findings that show that evaluating the change of CA-125 over time shows promise as a screening tool for early-stage ovarian cancer. While these recent findings aren’t going to change clinical practice now, more data is necessary before doctors use this method as a screening test. CA-125 stands for “Cancer Antigen 125”, which is a protein that may be found in high amounts in the blood of patients with ovarian cancer (http://www.ocrf.org/news). These findings are not quite definitive and will not change practice just yet, but they certainly are encouraging. It’s no wonder why Dr. Rubino has such a positive outlook on the future of medicine, “I think it's a misconception that we don't have the greatest health care system in the world. The U.S. has made such incredible strides in medicine. I also find the best care is generally decided and accomplished between the doctor and the patient. My hope is that health care continues to protect the doctor-patient relationship so that American medicine can continue to be the world leader.”
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among men. When detected early, it actually boasts some of the highest survival rates. The five-year survival rate is close to 100%. One in six men will be diagnosed with Prostate Cancer during his lifetime and one out of thirty-four will actually die of the disease. The American Cancer Society states on their website that African-American men are disproportionately affected by prostate cancer, having higher rates of prostate cancer diagnosis and death than men of all other racial or ethnic groups in the U.S. Almost one third of prostate cancer cases are found in men during their prime years at work.
The American Cancer Society urges that men need to know the facts on prostate cancer and to know what their real risks are. They also recommend that “men have the opportunity to make an informed decision with their health care provider about screening for prostate cancer after receiving information about the uncertainties, risks, and potential benefits associated with screening. Men at average risk should start talking to their doctors beginning at age 50. Men at higher risk should talk to their doctor about prostate testing earlier, including African Americans, at age 45, and men who’ve had a first-degree relative diagnosed with prostate cancer, at age 40. For both men at average risk and higher risk, information should be provided about what is known and what is uncertain about the benefits and limitations of early detection tests and treatments so they can make informed decisions about testing” (http://www.cancer.org/myacs).
The Reproductive Cancer Awareness Month is especially important because it affects both men and women. It is a great reminder to take better care of ourselves and much better precaution when dealing with our well-being. It’s amazing to learn just how important early detection is when it comes to these types of cancers. NJ Top Docs, Dr. Abeysinghe and Dr. Rubino of Northern New Jersey can certainly provide the comfort and care that their patients deserve.
Dr. Manisha Abeysinghe of Advanced Obstetrics and Gynecology is currently located in Hunterdon County. For more information and locations you can visit Dr. Abeysinghe’s full profile at http://www.njtopdocs.com/DrAbeysinghe.
Dr. Robert J. Rubino of The Rubino Group is currently located in Essex County. For more information and locations you can visit Dr. Rubino’s full profile at http://www.njtopdocs.com/RubinoOBGYN.
Sources
American Cancer Society
http://www.cancer.org/myacs/eastern/areahighlights/newsroom-prostate-awareness
Ovarian Cancer Research Fund
http://www.ocrf.org/
Facing Cancer Together
http://facingcancertogether.witf.org/healthy-lifestyle/september-is-gynecologic-cancer-awareness-month-9911
Sutter Health CPMC
http://www.cpmc.org/services/women/health/Gyn-cancers.html
About Us
NJ Top Docs is a comprehensive information resource of Top Doctors, Dentists and Hospitals. We are profiling over 900 Healthcare Providers and have made it convenient for you to find them.
NJ Top Docs allows patients to “meet” these providers online before making their appointment.
For more information, e-mail us at info(at)NJTopDocs(dot)com and/or visit http://www.NJTopDocs.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook – Twitter – YouTube.
Cristina Mendez, NJ Top Docs, http://www.NJTopDocs.com, +1 (908) 288-7240 100, [email protected]
Share this article