The Message: ‘Know Your Risk For Ovarian Cancer’ Hits Toshiba’s Big Screen In Times Square
Broadway Star Valisia LeKae Joins Dr. David Fishman to Raise Awareness about Mount Sinai’s Ovarian Cancer Risk Assessment Program
A 30-second Public Service Announcement (PSA) for the Mount Sinai Ovarian Cancer Risk Assessment program aired for the first time on Thursday, May 1st, on the iconic Toshiba Vision LED signboards in the heart of Times Square, New York City. The PSA will continue to broadcast every six minutes, 24-hours per day through May 15th. David Fishman, MD, Director and Founder of the Mount Sinai Ovarian Cancer Risk Assessment Program, Valisia LeKae, Broadway actress and ovarian cancer survivor and Toshiba executives unveiled the PSA with a countdown on Thursday afternoon.
"With Toshiba’s help, we will create more awareness about ovarian cancer which will hopefully result in saving lives," says Dr. Fishman, Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science and Gynecological Oncologist at The Mount Sinai Hospital. "We are very excited to see our important message on one of the biggest screens in the world and I’m extremely grateful to my very talented patient, Valisia LeKae, a Tony and Grammy nominated actress and singer for sharing her story."
Ovarian Cancer is the fourth leading cause of death in American women. Approximately 22,000 women are diagnosed annually and 14,000 die from the disease. "Every day that passes without a cure for ovarian cancer means the suffering and death of countless women," said Dr. Fishman. "Valisia is one of the lucky ones and she is a fighter."
"I want to thank Toshiba, The Mount Sinai Hospital, Peter Hapak and Spotco for joining forces to help broadcast the importance of ovarian cancer risk assessment and my personal journey to thousands of men and women who will see it daily," says LeKae, the 34 year-old actress who played Diana Ross in Motown the Musical and was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2013. "Dr. Fishman and the Mount Sinai team helped to save my life, so I want to give back by helping to educate and encourage others about this disease and the fight against it."
About Mount Sinai’s Ovarian Cancer Risk Assessment Program
The Mount Sinai Hospital leads an international clinical and scientific effort to identify new screening methods for the early detection of epithelial ovarian cancer in asymptomatic high-risk women. The hallmark of the program is the coordinated, multidisciplinary services provided to each patient with a comprehensive clinic visit including evaluations by board certified specialists in cancer genetics, gynecologic oncology, ultrasound, and psychology. Participants receive a consultation with a board certified genetic counselor that reviews the family history of cancer in detail and provides an estimate of the likelihood of hereditary susceptibility. Women who participate in the program return every six months for follow-up, but remain with their own gynecologists for routine care. As a state-of-the-art clinical research program, the program, has achieved international recognition for scientific insights regarding the genetics, biology and mechanisms of ovarian cancer.
To learn more, visit www.mountsinai.org/ovariancancer or call (212) 241- 1111.
Facts About Ovarian Cancer
· Approximately 75 percent of women with ovarian cancer are diagnosed with late stage disease and only 15-40 percent of diagnosed patients survive five years after initial aggressive cytoreductive surgery and years of multiagent chemotherapy.
· Almost 90 percent of women diagnosed with the disease confined to the ovary (stage I), have an overall five-year survival. They also require less surgical intervention, may not require chemotherapy and have a significantly improved quality of life.
About Toshiba
Toshiba is a world-leading diversified manufacturer, solutions provider and marketer of advanced electronic and electrical products and systems. Toshiba Group brings innovation and imagination to a wide range of businesses: digital products, including LCD TVs, notebook PCs, retail solutions and MFPs; electronic devices, including semiconductors, storage products and materials; industrial and social infrastructure systems, including power generation systems, smart community solutions, medical systems and escalators & elevators; and home appliances. Toshiba was founded in 1875, and today operates a global network of more than 590 consolidated companies, with 206,000 employees worldwide and annual sales surpassing 5.8 trillion yen (US$61 billion). Visit Toshiba's web site at www.toshiba.co.jp/index.htm
About Toshiba Vision
Prominently positioned below the world-famous New Year countdown ball in New York City’s Times Square business and entertainment district, Toshiba’s massive dual LED signboards, known collectively as "TOSHIBA VISION," serve a variety of promotional and public-service functions. In addition to illuminating the annual New Year countdown for upwards of 1 billion celebrants worldwide, the Interlocking System connects both boards in brilliant seasonal displays and animated sporting events. From atop One Times Square Building, one of the most valuable advertising locations in the world, TOSHIBA VISION ensures superb domestic and international media exposure, providing the Toshiba brand with unrivalled quantitative and qualitative promotional benefits. For more information on the TOSHIBA VISION LED signboards please visit http://www.facebook.com/ToshibaInnovation.
About the Mount Sinai Health System
Mount Sinai Health System is one of the largest academic medical systems in the New York metro area, with more than 43,000 employees working across eight hospitals, over 400 outpatient practices, nearly 300 labs, a school of nursing, and a leading school of medicine and graduate education. Mount Sinai advances health for all people, everywhere, by taking on the most complex health care challenges of our time — discovering and applying new scientific learning and knowledge; developing safer, more effective treatments; educating the next generation of medical leaders and innovators; and supporting local communities by delivering high-quality care to all who need it.
Through the integration of its hospitals, labs, and schools, Mount Sinai offers comprehensive health care solutions from birth through geriatrics, leveraging innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence and informatics while keeping patients’ medical and emotional needs at the center of all treatment. The Health System includes approximately 7,300 primary and specialty care physicians; 13 joint-venture outpatient surgery centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and more than 30 affiliated community health centers. We are consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals, receiving high "Honor Roll" status, and are highly ranked: No. 1 in Geriatrics and top 20 in Cardiology/Heart Surgery, Diabetes/Endocrinology, Gastroenterology/GI Surgery, Neurology/Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pulmonology/Lung Surgery, Rehabilitation, and Urology. New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked No. 12 in Ophthalmology. U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Children’s Hospitals” ranks Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital among the country’s best in several pediatric specialties.
For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.