My gynecologist, Dr. Elias Sabbagha, did an exam and immediately felt a mass. That was on a Thursday. He referred me to Dr. John Lurain, chief of gynecological oncology at Northwestern Memorial, and on Tuesday, I had surgery for stage III ovarian cancer. Today, Mrs. Lyman, age 40, is well and in remission. She is one of the fortunate ones.
Ovarian cancer has the highest mortality rate of all gynecologic cancers.
Further complicating this disease is the fact that nearly 95 percent of cases occur in individuals who do not have a family history of ovarian cancer. About 24,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the United States each year. I have a wonderful husband who was always at my side and tremendously supportive family and friends. Now I try to be proactive and do everything I can to keep myself healthy - by eating properly, exercising regularly and ensuring I get the mental and spiritual support I need. Still, any pain concerns me and makes me fear recurrence of cancer.