For Immediate Release
CONTACT: Channell Barbour (502) 564-2611 or Mary Margaret Colliver, UK Chandler Medical Center (859) 323-6363 

Governor and First Lady Proclaim Aug. 30 as Ovarian Cancer Awareness Day

LEXINGTON, KY (Aug. 30, 2000) - Gov. Paul Patton and First Lady Judi Patton declared Aug. 30 Ovarian Cancer Awareness Day in an announcement today at the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center.

The announcement comes in recognition of the importance of the research efforts of John R. van Nagell Jr., M.D., chief, gynecologic oncology, and professor of obstetrics and gynecology, UK College of Medicine, who has developed a screening test for ovarian cancer called transvaginal sonography. Currently, through the Ovarian Cancer Screening Program at the UK Markey Cancer Center, van Nagell currently is working to demonstrate that transvaginal sonography is an effective method of detecting ovarian cancer.

After the announcement, female legislators, wives of legislators, and the First Lady were invited to participate in the screening program.

"Through ovarian screening, tumors can be detected early," said Mrs. Patton. "And, if they are malignant, they can be removed and a woman's life can be saved.  Kentucky's women have the opportunity to lead the way in medical research and to save our lives in doing so."

"We want to be a leader in the national debate on this important women's health issue.  And we certainly want to be at the forefront of saving lives, particularly when early detection is the key," said Governor Patton.

"We are very proud of our clinical and research efforts at the UK Chandler Medical Center in fighting diseases such as ovarian cancer," said UK President Charles T. Wethington Jr. "With help from researchers and physicians like Dr. van Nagell, the University continues to develop and offer solutions to present and future health problems."

According to the American Cancer Society, ovarian cancer is the sixth most common cancer in women, and is the fifth leading cause of cancer death in women. This year, about 23,100 women will develop ovarian cancer in the United States, and about 14,000 women will die from the disease. More than half of the cases develop in women over the age of 65.

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal of all gynecologic cancers, causing the deaths of more women than any other reproductive organ cancer. But, ovarian cancer can be cured if found early. If the cancer is treated before it has spread beyond the ovaries, the five-year survival rate is 95 percent. With current screening and detection methods, only 25 percent of ovarian cancers are found before they spread.

The Ovarian Cancer Screening Program began in 1987 and provides free transvaginal sonography screening annually to women. Since 1987, the program has screened more than 15,000 women.

In order to demonstrate that transvaginal sonography is an effective method of detecting ovarian cancer, the program must screen at least 100,000 women.

Transvaginal sonography is painless, radiation-free, and can be completed in five to 10 minutes. During the examination, a small probe is placed in the vagina to take a sonogram, a kind of "picture," of the ovaries, and to measure the volume of the ovaries. This procedure allows van Nagell to detect ovarian tumors, even when they are too small to be detected during an annual gynecological examination.

"This method has been shown to be safe and well accepted by patients," van Nagell said. "With ovarian cancer being such a deadly disease, I am very excited about the preliminary results of our screening program that show the effectiveness of this method. I am optimistic that our research efforts will contribute to reducing ovarian cancer deaths."

So far, the screening tests have revealed ovarian tumors in 180 of the participants, 17 of which were determined to be malignant. The other 163 tumors were benign, but some of them potentially could have become malignant. The cancerous tumors detected by screening usually were at an early stage - 11 were at stage I and three were at stage II. A pelvic examination performed annually in conjunction with a Pap smear often does IV).

All of the screening program participants whose ovarian tumors were found at stage I or II are alive and fully recovered following treatment.

Since the beginning of the program, the Kentucky Extension Homemakers have supported the program by participating in regular screenings and by donating $1 per member annually.

"All of us at the Ovarian Cancer Screening Program at the UK Markey Cancer Center greatly appreciate the support from the Kentucky state government, especially Governor and First Lady Patton, Rep. Mary Lou Marzian, Rep. Jimmie Lee, and the Fayette County legislative delegation, as well as the participants in the screening program, the Kentucky Extension Homemakers, and GE Medical Systems " van Nagell said. "With continued support from institutions and people like these and with new support, we can expand our program and try to demonstrate conclusively that this method is effective in detecting ovarian cancer."

The program is open to women age 50 or older, and to women 30 or older who have a family history of ovarian cancer. Screening is free. For information, call (859) 323-4687 or (800) 766-8279.

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