As a lifelong tennis player, I have always rooted for Chris Evert, the legendary American tennis star who won 18 Grand Slam Tournaments in her career. That included two Australian Opens, seven French Opens, three Wimbledon Championships and six US Opens.
As terrific as she is on the court, she is also a winner off the court. Evert is a two-time cancer survivor. She’s battled ovarian cancer twice and reached a full remission both times.
Sadly, Evert’s sister Jeanne Colette Dubin died from the disease after nearly 30 months of surgery, chemotherapy and other treatments.
“Jeanne was selfless, caring and kind,” Evert said after her sister’s passing.
Naturally this tragedy prompted Chris to get tested. And she had the same type of cancer. But they caught it early.
A little more than a year after she was in remission, a precautionary CT scan in December revealed a cancerous mass. Evert went through the entire process a second time, and she recently was happy to report that she is in remission for the second time.
Evert was diagnosed after a genetic test showed she shared the same BRCA1 gene variant as her sister.
“My sister’s journey saved my life,” Evert wrote, “and I hope by sharing mine, I just might save somebody else’s.”
There is no approved screening for ovarian cancer.
“I encourage everyone to know your family history and advocate for yourself,” Evert recently told the New York Times. “Early detection saves lives.”
These are tests and procedures used to diagnose ovarian cancer:
Here is up-to-date information from the Mayo Clinic that could save your life.
Pelvic exam. During a pelvic exam, your doctor inserts gloved fingers into your vagina and simultaneously presses a hand on your abdomen in order to feel (palpate) your pelvic organs. The doctor also visually examines your external genitalia, vagina and cervix.
Imaging tests. Tests, such as ultrasound or CT scans of your abdomen and pelvis, may help determine the size, shape and structure of your ovaries.
Blood tests. Blood tests might include organ function tests that can help determine your overall health.
Your doctor might also test your blood for tumor markers that indicate ovarian cancer. For example, a cancer antigen (CA) 125 test can detect a protein that’s often found on the surface of ovarian cancer cells. These tests can’t tell your doctor whether you have cancer, but they may provide clues about your diagnosis and prognosis.
Surgery. Sometimes your doctor can’t be certain of your diagnosis until you undergo surgery to remove an ovary and have it tested for signs of cancer.
Genetic testing. Your doctor may recommend testing a sample of your blood to look for gene changes that increase the risk of ovarian cancer. Knowing you have an inherited change in your DNA helps your doctor make decisions about your treatment plan.
You may wish to share the information with your blood relatives, such as your siblings and your children, since they also may have a risk of having those same gene changes.
Once it’s confirmed that you have ovarian cancer, your doctor will use information from your tests and procedures to assign your cancer a stage.
The stages of ovarian cancer range from 1 to 4. The lowest stage indicates that the cancer is confined to the ovaries. By stage 4, the cancer has spread to distant areas of the body.
