When Cancer Is in the Family

How daughters of women with ovarian cancer take charge of their own health

Strolling in the Garden of Hope at Lehigh Valley Hospital’s John and Dorothy Morgan Cancer Center are (l-r) Staci Smith, Andréa Madochick and Nancy Waring.

Her mother’s ovarian cancer has brought two kinds of fear into the life of Staci Smith. The 26-year-old Allentown woman worries about her mother, and also about herself and her sister. “Since this type of cancer is hereditary, Pam and I are concerned about the possibility of being diagnosed with it ourselves,” Smith says. “We’re also concerned about Pam’s four daughters.”

Cancer risk does rise if you have a close relative with the disease, says Richard Boulay, M.D., gynecologic oncologist (women’s reproductive cancer specialist) at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “But there are many options to help with early detection, which is the best way of addressing the issue,” he says.

That has motivated Smith to take charge of her health. Here is how she and other young women whose mothers have faced ovarian cancer are doing that:

“I’m exploring genetic testing, which tells you if you have the gene for ovarian cancer,” Smith says. Women with this gene have a 40 percent chance for developing the disease, versus 1.5 percent in women who do not have it. One of the options for women with the gene is removal of the ovaries. This eliminates their risk for ovarian cancer, Boulay says, although it does not reduce the risk for other cancers.

“I take the birth control pill,” says 39-year-old Andréa Madochick of Allentown. It can reduce the risk for developing ovarian cancer by 30 percent, Boulay says.

“I have yearly gynecologic exams and ultrasounds to detect ovarian tumors,” both Smith and Madochick say. Even so, ovarian cancer can be difficult to detect. (It’s not detected by a Pap test, which is for cervical cancer.) For this reason, all women should be aware of ovarian cancer symptoms, Boulay says, which include ongoing bloating, fullness and stomach discomfort.

“I do healthy things every day,” says 15-year-old Nancy Waring of Allentown. She and her mother have changed their diets together. “We drink more water and have reduced our intake of caffeine, fat and sugar,” she says.

“I also dance, play sports and take vitamins.” While researchers haven’t found a link between lifestyle and ovarian cancer prevention, a healthy diet and regular exercise do help prevent heart disease, diabetes and many other problems.

“I learned about my family health history and I encourage other women to ask their mothers about their gynecologic health,” Madochick says. “You can’t afford to be embarrassed to talk about it.”

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