The Northside Hospital Cancer Institute (NHCI) Gynecologic Cancer Program is Georgia’s leading provider of gynecologic (GYN) cancer care, diagnosing and treating more new cases of ovarian cancer than any other hospital in Georgia. Northside Hospital ranks among the top five women’s cancer programs in the country.
Ovarian cancer is a type of gynecologic cancer that starts in the ovaries. The ovaries are the female reproductive organs that produce eggs.
Ovarian cancer symptoms are often subtle. Women and their doctors often blame the symptoms on other, more common conditions. By the time the cancer is diagnosed, the tumor has often spread beyond the ovaries.
If the following symptoms occur on a daily basis for more than a few weeks, see a doctor:
Older women are at highest risk of developing ovarian cancer. Most deaths from ovarian cancer occur in women age 55 and older and half of all ovarian cancers are found in women 63 years of age or older.
Risk Factors for developing ovarian cancer include any of the following:
Learn more about ovarian cancer risk factors.
According to the American Cancer Society, only about 20 percent of ovarian cancers are found at an early stage. When ovarian cancer is found early, about 94 percent of patients live longer than five years after diagnosis. To detect ovarian cancer at its earliest stage, women should have annual well-woman doctor visits, including regular pelvic exams. A primary care provider or gynecologist can recommend the right female cancer screenings and diagnostic tests based on age, lifestyle and family history.
There is no guaranteed prevention against ovarian cancer, but maintaining a healthy weight through diet and exercise and avoiding smoking and other tobacco products will reduce the risk ovarian cancer.
As part of our comprehensive approach to cancer prevention and education, Northside offers Built To Quit, a smoking and tobacco cessation program offering resources to help individuals quit smoking and stop using other tobacco products. For additional information please call 404-780-7653 or email smokingcessation@northside.com or click on the button below to register online for an upcoming class.
Northside Hospital’s Cancer Genetics Program is available to patients interested in genetic counseling and testing due to strong personal or family histories of gynecologic, colorectal or breast cancers. Our team of certified genetic counselors help patients assess, understand and reduce the risk of developing certain types of genetically influenced cancer such as ovarian cancer. For additional information, please call 404-851-6284 or email genetics@northside.com.
Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer among women. It causes more deaths than any other type of GYN cancer.
Northside’s Gynecologic Cancer Program physicians primarily use the following tests to diagnose ovarian cancer:
The strength of NHCI’s Gynecologic Cancer Program is our multidisciplinary team of dedicated, specially trained gynecologic oncology specialists who provide individualized care for each ovarian cancer patient. Northside’s GYN cancer care team offers a comprehensive scope of medical services, the latest technology, leading-edge clinical research and compassionate support for cancer patients.
Our dedicated and experienced gynecologic oncologists and clinical experts are amongst the most experienced in the country. Northside Hospital Cancer Institute’s physicians are committed to providing comprehensive cancer care in a compassionate setting.
Our GYN cancer team of experts includes:
Northside Hospital provides a forum for these cancer specialists to review radiology and pathology images and discuss the best cancer treatment options, including clinical trials, and develop an evidence-based treatment plan for each patient. By prospectively discussing cancer cases during conference, patients get the benefit of more than a dozen expert medical opinions.
Northside Hospital Cancer Institute’s Gynecologic Cancer Program leads the way in groundbreaking surgical procedures for better outcomes and less invasive treatments of ovarian cancers.
Our Program offers patients dedicated women-only surgery suites for breast and GYN surgery as well as an inpatient unit designed specifically for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
Ovarian cancer treatment will depend on the stage of the cancer, the size and shape of the tumor, the age and general health of the woman, and her desire to have children in the future.
For more information about ovarian cancer treatments, please expand the content below.
Ovarian cancer treatment and recovery can be overwhelming, which is why, at the Northside Hospital Cancer Institute Gynecologic Cancer Program, we have oncology nurse navigators to guide patients every step of the way after cancer diagnosis and through treatment. Northside’s registered oncology nurses work with radiologists, surgeons, oncologists and other specialists to coordinate each cancer treatment plan, educating and supporting cancer patients to make informed decisions.
Our oncology nurse navigators facilitate access to Northside Hospital Cancer Institute’s comprehensive portfolio of cancer patient support and survivorship services to ensure each ovarian cancer patient receives coordinated and personalized care.
Network of Hope / Woman to Woman - Gynecologic Cancer Mentoring Program
The Network of Hope (NoH) program connects cancer patients with trained volunteers who have also faced cancer and embraced life afterward. Volunteer cancer survivors and caregivers are available to mentor cancer patients throughout their treatment.
In 2015, as part of a grant received from the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Alliance, Northside Hospital Cancer Institute launched the Woman to Woman program as a specialty area within Network of Hope. Woman to Woman provides expanded mentoring support specifically for women with gynecologic cancers.
For more information about the Woman to Woman program, please call 404-303-3676.
LEARN MORE ABOUT ALL OF OUR NHCI SUPPORT & SURVIVORSHIP SERVICES
