Let’s Talk Gynecologic Cancer Awareness with Dr. Chemen Neal
According to the CDC, there are five main types of gynecologic cancer that include cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal, and vulvar. There is a sixth type of gynecologic cancer and while it is very rare, women should be aware that fallopian tube cancer exists.
With September being Gynecologic Cancer Awareness month, Dr. Chemen Neal, an OBGYN who specializes in Maternity Care at the Coleman Center for women took some time to chat with us. Not only is Dr. Neal a practicing physician, but she is also an associate clinical professor and wellness director for the IU School of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the assistant dean for student affairs.
When it comes to discussing gynecologic cancers, Dr. Neal likes to start with cervical cancer because of the preventative measures we can take. She says that “we have really great screening mechanisms that can prevent and detect cervical cancer. It is important to get your pap smears done, and for young women and men to get the HPV vaccine.
Dr. Neal shared that HPV not only causes cancer of the cervix, but it can also cause cancer of the vulva and of the vagina. It can also cause something called dysplasia of the vulva, which are abnormal cells that come before cancer.
She explains that she manages vulvar dysplasia on a regular basis and it's really destructive even before it becomes cancer, and patients have to have surgeries to have it removed.
“There are two really fantastic things that people can do to prevent cancer of the cervix. Number one is getting the HPV vaccine because 98% of all cervical cancer is caused by a virus. The other thing is getting a pap test, and staying on schedule with them. ”
However, it is important to remember that even with screening tools in place, there are still significant disparities when it comes to cervical cancer. “Hispanic women have the highest incidence rate of cervical cancer, followed by non-Hispanic Black women, according to the American Cancer Society.”
Dr. Neal shared that African American women are much more likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer and more likely to die of cervical cancer.
Trust is one of the most important parts of the patient-provider relationship and you build it by listening and letting them know that what they have to say is really important to you.
As a physician and educator, Dr. Neal stressed the important role that active listening has when interacting with patients, families, and students. She has a personal philosophy of listening to what people are saying and what they're not saying before she reacts.
When interacting with a patient who was recently diagnosed with cancer, how do you approach that?
I really try to listen deeply and try to pay attention to where they're at in the moment. I always check in, and I’ll ask, what are you thinking right now? What are your thoughts? How are you feeling? I always make sure they know that Hey, if you are shocked and you need time to process, and you come up with a lot of questions, please know, you can call me anytime or reach out to me. Sometimes I'll just automatically schedule an in-person visit if I had to talk to them via phone so that they have a chance to bring in a family member, and ask questions.
What led you to want to work in the OB-GYN field?
I knew that I wanted to do surgery and I liked the variety that you get in OB-GYN. I liked that the patients were young and women and I liked working with women patients a lot. There are so many different things that you can do, and you can flex and change what you focus on throughout your career as an OB-GYN. It has so many specialties, all in one, but can also be two completely separate specialties. There's the obstetrics part, and then there are all the gynecologic parts. Even within the gynecologic parts, there are all these different subsets of things that you can focus on. Learning is one of my top values and one of my natural kind of talents, and it was important to me to have a career where I could always be learning and always doing different things!
Throughout your career, do you have the most memorable moment?
Oh man, there have been a lot of moments! A pivotal moment for me was when I participated in the American Medical Women's Association, and I had a series of experiences where I felt like I wasn't cut out to be a leader in academia. I started to question if I had what it took and if I would be good enough to lead. I went to an AMWA conference and they were offering these 30-minute coaching sessions and a physician coach, met with me for 30 minutes and really just changed completely the way that I thought about myself and totally made me realize that I could be a good leader. It helped me see that leadership skills are not things that you have or don't have, but they are skills that are developed.
Remember that if you have the desire to do something you can, you may just need help, and a plan to figure it out. That experience really changed my whole focus and has become something that I wanted to offer to other people, and it has led me to my purpose, which is helping people reach their full potential.
Do you have any advice or, words of wisdom for students and other healthcare professionals when it comes to best practices when they are interacting with families and patients? What are some things they should keep at the forefront of their minds?
The most important thing is to give your patients a chance to feel heard. So really listen to your patients, and set aside what you want to tell them and what you want to teach them at that moment. Really listen for what they're there for and what they're concerned about so that you address those things first. For example, if you are talking to a patient about pap smears, and they have an abnormal one, they may have other concerns and questions. While the information you have for them is important their concerns are also valid. When you listen to your patients it helps to build trust and a relationship which is extremely important. Trust is one of the most important parts of the patient-provider relationship and you build it by listening and letting them know that what they have to say is really important to you.
