Teen beats silent killer

A teenage girl should have to worry about:

A. schoolwork

B. a dress for the prom

C. learning to drive

D. ovarian cancer

E. All of the above

If you said "all of the above," you'd be right, unfortunately. Although ovarian cancer is most often found in older women, more teens and young adults are being diagnosed with "the silent killer."

Megan Sullivan, a junior at North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, knows that all too well. In March 2006, at 16, Sullivan began to experience abdominal swelling. At first, she thought it was bloating caused by her menstrual period, but she also had a lack of appetite, so her parents took her to a doctor.

After a series of tests, Sullivan was told that she had a malignant tumor on her ovary.

"Hearing the news was not as bad as some people might think," she said. "My mom and I actually high-fived afterward because they'd found out what it was and had a plan to take care of it. Knowing was better than not knowing."

Sullivan's cancer was a germ cell tumor, a genetic condition that affects the reproductive organs.

"My father had had a germ-cell cancer 15 years before, and he went on some medication and has been fine ever since," Sullivan said. "That gave me a lot of hope . . . The prognosis [for this type of cancer] was good, so I felt lucky from the start."

Sullivan also was grateful for the efforts of her physician, Dr. Benedict B. Benigno, founder and CEO of the Ovarian Cancer Institute in Atlanta and director of Southeastern Gynecologic Oncology. A gynecological oncologist specializing in ovarian cancer, Benigno is working to develop an early diagnostic test and new treatments for the disease.

"He's very good at what he does and very sweet," Sullivan said. "He gave us his cellphone number and told us to call anytime. We did when I got weird symptoms from chemo."

Because of a slow recovery from surgery and 12 weeks of chemotherapy, Sullivan did her schoolwork at home and earned all A's during the 2006 spring semester.

"My teachers were amazingly accommodating," Sullivan said. "Actually, all my friends were supportive. I have boxes and boxes of cards, and the theater class came over several times to hang out with me."

Her father read most of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy to her during treatments.

There were rough times, such as when her fever spiked to 104 degrees and when she had blood transfusions and shots to bring up her white blood cell counts. Chemotherapy and its side effects made her feel "tainted."

"Little things got on my nerves, like my ears ringing all the time," she said.

Sullivan was able to confide in a 14-year-old ovarian cancer survivor whom she met during treatments at Northside Hospital in Atlanta.

"My parents were wonderful, but I'm a fairly independent person, and it's tough knowing that your life is so dependent on others. The loss of freedom and ability to go places with friends and do normal things bothered me the most," she said. "After I finished treatments we were able to travel to Massachusetts to see family, and that was awesome."

Although she will undergo regular scans for cancer, Sullivan has a clean bill of health and is back in school, where one of her major interests is theater. "I just played the narrator in 'Beauty and the Beast,' which worked well, because we spray-painted my buzz cut. Now, in my stagecraft course, I'm getting to play with power tools and build sets for 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' " she said.

Sullivan's not sure whether she wants to be a scientist, an artist or a pilot, but one thing she knows for sure: She'll keep a positive attitude.

"I really liked my dad's perspective. I didn't want cancer to be something to define me," she said. "It's wonderful to know that my experiences can be used for research to help others' struggles, but, to be honest, I'm also glad my hair's started to grow back in."

Researchers at the Ovarian Cancer Institute want young women to know that ovarian cancer can hit in the teen years and that Pap smears don't detect it. It's also important to know that there are warning signs, such as bloating and changes in bowel function or menstrual cycles.

"Awareness is key," said Elizabeth King, executive director of the Ovarian Cancer Institute. "All women need to know that there are warning signs, that there are risk factors and that ovarian cancer doesn't have to be deadly."