When fashion model Ash Foo, 23, walked the runway at New York Fashion Show this past week, few knew that the confident “it” girl had spent much of the year in treatment for ovarian cancer, and that she had struggled to love her new body after surgery and treatment.
Foo, currently in remission, told Vogue in an interview that “I have chemotherapy burns on my skin and scars. I look completely different than when I started. Seeing my body and accepting it for what it is instead of judging it has been empowering. I want to continue to work on my confidence and just embrace who I am now."
Read More“When I finally saw the doctor … she asked if I was pregnant. That’s when I went to have an ultrasound and they found the mass,” she told Vogue. The diagnosis was Dygerminoma, a rare form of ovarian cancer that strikes younger women.
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“I had abdominal surgery to remove my right ovary,” Foo told her followers on Instagram in August. “Never take your health for granted. I'm grateful…for the abundance of love that has been sent to me by all of you.”
Ovarian Cancer: What Are The Symptoms And Warning Signs?
There is no screening test for ovarian cancer, but doctors say it is important for women to be aware of symptoms which can indicate something is wrong.
Dr. Jose Alejandro Rauh-Hain
Dr. Jose Alejandro Rauh-Hain, a gynecologic oncologist at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, told SurvivorNet that “we don't have a good screening method, but if you have symptoms, it's very important that you go to your physician because there might be an opportunity that we can detect it when it's still early stage. It's very important that patients are not afraid to ask questions to their physicians. Because the sooner we can diagnose the cancer, the better that prognosis."
Ovarian Cancer: The Cancer That Whispers
Dr. Beth Karlan, director of the Women's Cancer Program at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center., also told SurvivorNet that its symptoms are vague and often similar to the symptoms many women experience every month with their menstrual cycle.
Dr. Karlan also urged women to be vigilant about getting tested if they feel that something is amiss with their bodies.
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