A friend dropped off these cookies for our clinic to enjoy. As September comes to a close I am reminded that September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month. October will be Breast Cancer Awareness month. Go ahead and roll your eyes while you quietly ask, "Is every month an awareness month for something?" I don't know. I am not a monthly awareness guru. I am a prevention guru (that is one of the hats that a Family Physician gets to wear.) This year in the United States, more than 22,000 new cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed, and approximately 14,000 women will die of the disease. Average age of onset is 63.4. However, the risk is much higher for women who have an inherited predisposition to this disease. Approximately 24% of ovarian cancers are caused by an inherited gene mutation. Hereditary ovarian cancers are caused by mutations in many genes. If you or a family member has had ovarian or fallopian tube cancer at any age, please schedule an appointment with your primary care provider to find out if cancer gene testing is appropriate. Your prevention guru is signing off (and trying an Ovary Cookie.)