There’s a Way to Prevent Ovarian Cancer. Few Know About It.
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- Dr. Rebecca Stone, a gynecologic oncologist at Johns Hopkins Medicine, says nearly all ovarian cancers — and nearly all fatal ones — actually originate in the fallopian tubes, making the term 'ovarian cancer' a misnomer.
- The roughly 20 percent of ovarian cancers that do start in the ovaries are biologically different and usually curable, per Dr. Stone.
- Fallopian tube removal reduces a woman's risk of ovarian cancer by nearly 80 percent, according to the article.
- The procedure takes about five minutes and can be added to common abdominal surgeries including hysterectomy, tubal ligation, gallbladder surgery, and hernia repair.
- Kira Wynn, 37, consulted Dr. Stone after her mother died of ovarian cancer 10 months after diagnosis; genetic tests could not identify a risk mutation for Wynn.
Why it matters: Ovarian cancer is typically caught at an advanced stage — as with Kira Wynn's mother, who was given 10 months to live — yet a five-minute addition to surgeries millions of women already undergo could prevent up to 80 percent of cases. The gap between what gynecologic oncologists know and what surgeons routinely offer patients represents a concrete, near-term opportunity to save lives.
