Many cases of ovarian cancer are diagnosed at advanced stages, its one of the gynecological cancers that is hard to diagnose in the early stages of the disease. Ovarian cancer needs to be treated correctly from the get -go for the best chance of survival.

It seems that some women are not receiving appropriate surgery in the United States based on an article in Journal Watch by Andrew M. Kaunitz MD.

A study found that out of 10,000 women diagnosed with ovarian cancer from 1999 to 2002, only forty two percent underwent surgery at teaching hospitals. Almost half of the patients in the study were operated on by surgeons who performed fewer than 10 ovarian cancer surgeries each year. Scarier yet, the study showed that about 25 percent of these women underwent surgery by very-low-volume surgeons -- less than one annually.

Dr. Kaunitz advice is to seek out a gynecological oncologist to get comprehensive care that is needed.

Don't be afraid to ask a surgeon -- How many times have you performed this surgery?

Husband and wife team -- Dr. Tyler Curiel and Dr. Ruth Berggren -- prepare to relocate to San Antonio, Texas and will leave behind the city torn apart by Hurricane Katrina -- the same city where they worked tirelessly in 100-plus degree heat to rescue frozen cells and tissue from destruction during a storm that destroyed nearly everything in its path. They worked for one week caring for trapped patients at the inner city Charity Hospital, using diminishing generator power and the very basic of supplies. And they worked by flashlight to preserve their temperature-sensitive cells -- the cells that made up most of their life's work. They were successful in their mission -- and happily saved the cells of one of Curiel's medical students who once worked in his lab but died in 2004 of a rare cancer.

In September, the duo will leave New Orleans and will begin work at a nationally recognized cancer center -- the San Antonio Cancer Institue. Curiel will share his expertise in gynecological cancers -- specifically ovarian cancer -- and Berggren will join the health science center as an infectious disease specialist.

For women who undergo hysterectomy as part of cancer treatment in becoming a cancer survivor, Hyster Sisters is a woman-to-woman community support website for hysterectomy recovery. With 93,581 members, 1,726,500 posts and 240,569 threads, Hyster Sisters is a vibrant and active destination for women facing the unique challenges of a hysterectomy seeking compassionate and understanding support.

According to Hyster Sisters creator Kathy Kelley, self-admitted avid internet junkie, after having a total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral oopherectomy, she began Hyster Sisters as a hobby eight years ago. "I wanted a way to connect women for support and sharing through a difficult process."

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