Dr. Steven R. Goldstein MD, a board certified physician and one of the leading Ovarian and Cervical Cancer Screening Doctors in New York. In practice for over 25 years, Dr Goldstein believes in individualized patient care where visits and examinations are not rushed and are catered to the needs of the patient. If you need to be screened for ovarian or cervical cancer, Dr Goldstein is the best gynecologist to see. His expertise is not just in early detection, but in guiding you through the process of getting whole again should you have either disease.
Dr Goldstein uses Ultrasound and Sonohysterograms liberally. He believes in painless, non-invasive transvaginal ultrasounds as a first means to diagnose Ovarian Cancer. He has long fought against painful biopsies, which are inaccurate a significant amount of the time. Dr Goldstein is an internationally recognized specialist in gynecological ultrasound and imaging. First, let’s take a look at what ovarian cancer is.
Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer among women, according to the U.S. Library of National Medicine. Its symptoms can be vague and misleading, leading to late diagnosis. The ovaries are small almond shaped organs located on either side of the uterus. They store eggs and produce the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Cancer cells can develop in or around the ovaries.
Early detection is key to overcoming ovarian cancer. Cystic changes in ovaries that are not functional would be considered “new growth” and represents a tumor, however, most of these tumors are benign while some may be malignant. With ovarian tumors they are benign or malignant from the start. They do not “become” malignant.
Since an ovarian tumor is either benign or malignant (cancerous) from the start, if we can reliably diagnose an ovarian cystic mass as being benign the chances of transforming into malignancy are virtually zero. Dr Goldstein relies on painless, non-invasive sonographic technology to determine:
1) the lack of any solid area coming off the cyst wall, and
2) the lack of any vascularity as measured by color flow Doppler ultrasound. Tumors need blood to grow, to divide, to invade, and the lack of any vascularity is an extremely reassuring sign. A colleague of mine once lecturing gave the throw-away line of “no color, no cancer.”
When people have what appear to be benign growths of ovaries, rather than remove them, we continue to watch them and be sure that they maintain those sonographic features that are reassuring of their benign nature.
Dr Goldstein’s annual exams include a transvaginal ultrasound. Transvaginal ultrasounds utilize higher frequency ultrasound probes that are placed into the vagina and can image pelvic structures like the uterus and ovaries with greater magnification than old-fashioned ultrasound transducers placed on the abdomen, requiring a full bladder.
The transvaginal ultrasound tells Dr Goldstein 2 things – the anatomy of the ovaries and their function. If there is any mass in the ovary, it is detected, and the color flow doppler indicates whether it is a benign or cancerous mass.
Dr. Goldstein continues to advocate for ovarian cancer screening. He believes recent U.S. recommendations against routine screenings were based on inadequate studies that relied on inappropriate parameters. Ovarian cancer studies from Europe and the University of Kentucky found that annual screenings identified 82 percent of cancer in stage 1, when it is more treatable. Dr. Goldstein recommends such screenings every 6 months, taking into account the patient’s medical history and risk factors.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Goldstein please CLICK HERE or call 212-717-5554
Cases of cervical cancer have dropped drastically with the advent of the annual pap smear.
Early abnormalities, previously called dysplasia and often referred to as “precancer”, have therefore scared patients into a great deal of overtreatment. It is true that everyone with true cancer passes through all the stages of dysplasia, but most people with early stages of dysplasia may revert to normal and rarely progress to more advanced stages. Thus, avoiding overtreatment is crucial. Unfortunately, too many doctors have recommended LEEP procedures, which Dr. Goldstein believes is overtreatment, mainly because such procedures have been shown to increase the risk of preterm labor and risk of miscarriage.
Dr. Goldstein often works with women seeking a second opinion after a primary OB/GYN recommends a LEEP. He evaluates patients, closely reviews results and has pap smear results re-evaluated as needed. If results indicate further data is needed, Dr. Goldstein performs colposcopy or laser surgery in his office.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Goldstein please CLICK HERE or call 212-717-5554
Learn more about Dr. Goldstein’s approach to abnormal pap smear results.
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