August 16, 2007
Lehman and Goff receive ‘Ladies’ Home Journal’ Health Breakthrough Awards
UW physicians Constance Lehman and Barbara Goff have been awarded Ladies’ Home Journal’s second-annual Health Breakthrough Award for their work in transforming health care for women and families. They were honored along with seven other doctors and researchers at the Health Breakthrough Awards Luncheon in New York City on Aug. 7, hosted by Editor-in-Chief Diane Salvatore. The honorees will also be featured in the September issue of the magazine.
Lehman, director of Breast Imaging at UW Medical Center and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, was honored for her work as principal investigator of a 22-site trial (American College of Radiology Imaging Network MRI of the Contralateral Breast Trial) that evaluated the ability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect cancer in the healthy breast of women newly diagnosed with breast cancer. Patients diagnosed with breast cancer typically have a five to 10 percent chance of developing cancer in the healthy breast within 10 years. Because of their three-dimensional imaging, MRI scans can find many of these tiny cancers in the other breast. Women can then treat both simultaneously, avoiding a second round of surgery and chemo, and even an unnecessary mastectomy.
“Without question, breast imaging is one of the most exciting areas in imaging,” Lehman said. “It provides so many opportunities to have an impact on women’s lives.”
Goff, professor and director of Gynecologic Oncology at the UW, received the award for conducting two studies that for the first time ever detailed early warning signs for ovarian cancer. These signs include increased abdominal size or bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full very quickly, and increased urinary urgency or frequency. Goff’s research led to a consensus on guidelines from the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation, the American Cancer Society and the Society of Gynecologic Oncologist.
“When ovarian cancer is caught in stage one or two, the cure rate is 70 to 90 percent,” Goff said. “Unfortunately for the many patients who get later diagnosed, the cure rate is 10 to 20 percent.”
The Ladies’ Home Journal team, including Health Director Julia Kagan and Medical Adviser Dr. Marianne J. Legato, founder of the field of gender-specific medicine, combed the country for nominees by reaching out to medical schools and organizations, teaching hospitals, foundations and government agencies and poring through newspapers and medical journals. Lehman and Goff were selected from a candidate list of nearly 100 accomplished professionals.
“These medical professionals are among the most dynamic thinkers in the country, and their innovations directly save lives and improve care for millions of American families,” Salvatore said.
