Endofound.org Blossom Ball 2016
8th Annual Blossom Ball
I just appreciate the kind words. I am humbled that we are recognized at this podium in your honorable presence. You are so wonderful. You gave your time. You let other things go, you are here. You are here for an incredible cause that is very rarely mentioned in the history of female life from the time of the Bible. So, did they overall blame the victim for her issues, this and that? It is only in modern times that women have found a voice and are bringing their issues, their equality issues, their desire to have a family, desire to have a happy, healthy, abundantly well-deserved life for themselves. Endometriosis patients unfortunately are not happy because they may suffer from these issues. I am lucky here to speak for them and to have started something with Padma. I am lucky, right in front of me here is Lena; she is also lending her beautiful persona, which is a representation of the new generations to come. They will see things differently. I realize that I am already past 60. I see things differently. Many times my daughters, who are also “St. Anne’s” graduates, are tough cookies. You know, hey, their algorithm is different, yet I have a communication with them when it comes to these issues. We are happy that Lena is here and I am sure the world will change more hearing the voices of this community.
To cut it short, it is a women’s health issue. This disease affects ten percent of women – that is for sure. And it causes significant fertility issues; the number one pelvic pain issue in women; and many of those patients, the majority of the patients who have hysterectomies have them due to this disease. Let me make it very fast for you. Unfortunately these women do get multiple surgeries, improper and incomplete procedures and they continue to suffer. I have been doing medical conferences to educate doctors on this, I am happy to join many of them on this podium. They are very respectable individuals and surgeons.
Our goal this year – I named the conference as “Pursuing Precision through Passion”. I put the weight on surgeons to do good work on patients. Compassion is not enough. The lesions of these tissues have to be removed and this disease is – I do not want to scare you but – it is not an easy surgery. Today many gyn-oncologists, they are the cancer surgeons, all of them have admitted that endometriosis patients are the last patient they want to see. It is very difficult to achieve good results. You have to be committed with passion.
I am joined with my mentor, Harry Reich, who has taught me many of the surgical techniques from the 1980s. I am joined with many of the faculty here and basically we have a lot of work to do. We have started something. It is a revolution. I believe there are more endometriosis articles coming. The press is covering this and more women know about it. They come and they get the right help.
Thank you for coming. I want to introduce my colleague who also is an endometriosis specialist. But he is an oncologist who really appreciates the role of endometriosis in ovarian cancer. Ladies and gentlemen, I am sorry to tell you but endometriosis is a precursor of ovarian cancer. Women who get ovarian cancer under the age of 50 – it is two to three times more if they have endometriosis.
One more thing; as you know there is a Harvard study that just came out about women who have coronary heart disease. Endometriosis patients have two to three times more coronary heart issues than other people. So this disease does not just involve the pelvis and the vagina, it is a systemic disease and involves the whole body.
To cut it short, thank you. I am very honored to call Dr. Farr Nezhat here. Farr Nezhat is a gyn-oncologist, minimally invasive surgeon and he is well known throughout the world for his work with cancer. He has published multiple articles. He is the first doctor who persistently pushed that the association between endometriosis and ovarian cancer is there and that regular doctors should pay attention for it. Here is Farr.
I would like to actually give him the award so we can move on. This is the Harry Reich award for “Pioneering work in the science and treatment of endometriosis, Farr Nezhat in 8th annual Blossom Ball”. Farr, thank you for your good work.
