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CONVERSATION PIECES
Art exhibit, educational events spark dialogue on ovarian cancer
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BEYOND EXHAUSTION: Artist John Magnan created this work of clay and steel to reveal the toll that cancer treatment can take on patients. "The long ordeal is reflected around the eyes," Magnan writes in his description of the piece. "It's a look that's more than tired; it's a look that's beyond exhaustion.". |
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When his wife, Mary, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, Massachusetts artist John Magnan responded by channeling his feelings of fear and helplessness into the creation of art that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit. Using a wide variety of materials, Magnan produced 16 works of art that explore hair loss, IV poles, "chemo brain," infertility, exhaustion and triumph in a visual story of hope, courage and love.
The artwork, collected in a traveling exhibit titled "body image | body essence," has its West Coast debut this month at the Library Gallery at California State University, Sacramento, as part of an ovarian cancer awareness project co-sponsored by the Sacramento division of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition and the Sacramento State/UC Davis Cancer Center Partnership to Reduce Cancer Disparities.
Breaking the silence
The collection, intended to spark conversation about a cancer whose early symptoms are often silent, has made 12 stops, including the Boston Museum of Science, the National Museum of Health and Medicine in Washington, D.C., and the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. The Sacramento exhibit will be on display from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays from March 24 through April 27. The exhibit is free and open to the public.
Related ovarian cancer awareness activities will include an Evening with Experts community forum co-sponsored by the American Cancer Society at UC Davis Cancer Center on April 26, a series of presentations for students at Sacramento State, and a two-day conference for healthcare providers sponsored by the UC Davis Office of Continuing Medical Education.
"Ovarian cancer is sometimes called a silent disease," said Marlene von Friederichs- Fitzwater, director of the Outreach Research and Education Program at UC Davis Cancer Center. "This art exhibit provides powerful visual symbols that will help us break the silence, and, with the other educational activities we have developed, spark a public dialogue that will, ultimately, save lives."
No definitive test
Even though ovarian cancer is the leading killer among gynecologic cancers, only 15 percent of women are familiar with its warning signs, and 82 percent have never talked with their doctors about its symptoms or risk factors, according to a recent national survey sponsored by the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition.
Starting the conversation is critical, said Gina Dayton, president of the coalition's Sacramento division and an ovarian cancer survivor.
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Ovarian cancer: early warning signs |
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According to Lloyd Smith, professor and chair of obstetrics and gynecology at UC Davis, a woman should see a gynecologist if any of the following symptoms persists for, over two weeks or recurs:
- unexplained pelvic or abdominal pain or discomfort
- unexplained pelvic or abdominal bloating or swelling
- a constant feeling of fullness
- difficulty eating
For more information, visit the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition Web site at www.ovarian.org |
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"If caught in the early stages, the five-year survival rate for ovarian cancer is 90 percent, yet 75 percent of women are still unnecessarily diagnosed in the advanced stages, when
prognosis is poor," Dayton said. "Unfortunately, unlike breast or prostate cancer, there is no definitive screening test for ovarian cancer. The Pap smear, which can detect cervical cancer, does not detect ovarian cancer. A woman's best first-line defense is therefore her own awareness of the symptoms. We have to spread that message."
UC Davis Cancer Center and Sacramento State last year formed the Partnership to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities through Education, Research and Training, with a goal of combining the resources of both institutions to promote cancer awareness, prevention and early detection throughout the region, especially in medically underserved communities.
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Warrior: : A lifecast of Mary Magnan's skull, taken at the height of her chemotherapy treatment, was the inspiration for this bronze helmet. The artist also made a shield, symbolizing the battle waged by his late wife and by all women with ovarian cancer. |
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"Faculty and students are excited about opportunities to collaborate with experts at the UC Davis Cancer Center," said Marilyn Hopkins, dean of the College of Health and Human Services at Sacramento State. "Joint sponsorship of the art exhibit is one of many anticipated ventures that will unite our campuses in efforts to address health disparities in cancer care."
Universal and personal
Writing about the initial exhibit of Magnan's collection, Boston Globe art reviewer Cate McQuaid characterized the work as "at once universal and personal … a meditation not only on the struggle, but on the beauty and depth of what he saw … (the exhibit) attests to his empathy, and to his artistry."
More than 22,000 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year and more than 16,000 will die of it. Mary Magnan died of ovarian cancer in February 2006, six years and 10 months after she was diagnosed. She was 59.
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