UCI Health expert discusses ovarian cancer, Angelina Jolie decision
March 24, 2015
IN THE NEWS: Leslie Randall, MD, assistant professor of gynecological cancer, appeared on the KCRW program Press Play with Madeline Brand to discuss ovarian cancer treatment options. Angelina Jolie-Pitt’s recent surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes highlights the difficult decisions faced by high-risk women.
“Ovarian cancer is just about impossible to detect early, because it has direct access to the organs in the abdomen,” Randall said. “It is quick. Often by the time it’s detected, it’s at stage III.”
For women with a family history of cancer, Randall suggests genetic counseling, to identify their risk range. Knowing how likely they are to develop ovarian cancer will help women decide what treatment option is best.
Randall said that screenings must be conducted every three months in order to be effective and does not believe that they are the most useful way to fight ovarian cancer.
“Rather than screenings, our focus should be on prevention and improved treatment,” she said.
Listen to the KCRW interview ›
