City Of West Hollywood: City Recognizes September As Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

Press release from the City of West Hollywood:

September 22, 2021 4:56 PM

The City of West Hollywood has adopted a Resolution in recognition of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. As part of raising awareness, the City will light West Hollywood City Hall in teal and the lanterns above Santa Monica Boulevard between N. Robertson Boulevard and Hancock Avenue in the City of West Hollywood will glow in teal from September 24, 2021 through September 30, 2021.

“In the United States, approximately 15,000 women die of ovarian cancer each year. Another 21,000 women are diagnosed annually. Statistically, ovarian cancer represents three percent of all cancers affecting women in the nation,” said City of West Hollywood Councilmember John M. Erickson. “Early detection is critical to saving the lives of those affected. Women diagnosed at an early stage – before the cancer has spread – have a much higher five-year survival rate than those diagnosed at a later stage.”

While breast cancer is the most common form of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States, ovarian cancer is the deadliest of gynecologic cancers, with a mortality rate of more than 50 percent. This is because early ovarian tumors are extremely difficult or impossible for even the most skilled examiner to identify through a normal gynecological exam. Other screening tools and tests must be employed to detect ovarian cancer in women who don’t have any symptoms, including genetic testing to help determine a woman’s risk or likelihood of developing ovarian cancer. It is imperative that all high-risk women, even those without symptoms of ovarian cancer, be identified and given the opportunity to receive the most up-to-date screenings as recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).

Despite ovarian cancer rates being highest among white women, Black women are more likely to die from this disease because of lack of access to health care, socioeconomic disparities, and other causes still under study. All women, regardless of socio-economic status, race, or ethnicity, should be provided with resources needed to protect themselves and their families such as education, outreach, and testing.

The City of West Hollywood has been instrumental in the growth and success of the Ovarian Cancer Circle since the organization’s inception in 2011. The Ovarian Cancer Circle, founded by Paulinda S. Babbini, is a nonprofit  501(c)(3) organization aimed at expanding the ring of networking, education and support for women of all ages and their families and friends who may be affected by this disease. Robin Babbini, Paulinda’s daughter, was the inspiration for the Ovarian Cancer Circle. Robin succumbed to ovarian cancer at the early age of 20. As a teenager she worked for several years as a staff member at the City of West Hollywood for the Tiny Tots and Tot Time Program. Lack of an early diagnosis and access to readily accessible public information concerning ovarian cancer contributed to the advancement of her disease and ultimate death. The City of West Hollywood has co-sponsored several annual fundraising events with the Ovarian Cancer Circle, in which the Circle has raised more $500,000 for ovarian and breast cancer research.

For more information, please contact Andi Lovano, the City of West Hollywood’s Community and Legislative Affairs Supervisor, at (323) 848-6333 or at alovano@weho.org. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

The City of West Hollywood remains in a declared local emergency in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. West Hollywood City Hall is open for in-person transactions by appointment; to make an appointment, visit www.weho.org/appointments. City Hall services remain accessible by phone at (323) 848-6400 and via the City’s website at www.weho.org. City of West Hollywood coronavirus information is available at www.weho.org/coronavirus.

City of West Hollywood coronavirus updates are available at www.weho.org/coronavirus and the City encourages community members to follow @wehocity on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram and turn on notifications. For up-to-date news and events, follow the City of West Hollywood on social media, sign up for news updates at www.weho.org/email, and visit the City’s calendar of meetings and events at www.weho.org/calendar.

slunn@weho.org

This press release was produced by the City of West Hollywood. The views expressed here are the author’s own.