Ovarian cancer can be difficult to detect early
There is no standard screening test for ovarian cancer in people without symptoms, according to the Fred Hutch Cancer Center. Pap tests are designed to detect cervical cancer, not ovarian cancer. The absence of routine screening makes it important for patients to discuss persistent or concerning symptoms with a health care provider.
Age also matters in the broader statistics. Data cited by the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance place the median U.S. age at diagnosis at 63, with the highest incidence among women ages 55 to 64. A diagnosis at 38, as reported for Alexandra Malamud, is younger than that national median, but population statistics do not explain an individual diagnosis.
Stage at diagnosis is closely associated with outcomes. Women whose disease is confined to the ovaries have an approximately 89% five-year relative survival rate, while about 75% of cases are identified after the cancer has spread beyond the ovaries, according to UT Health San Antonio.
Screening, symptoms and risk factors
According to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, screening asymptomatic women with transvaginal ultrasound, CA-125 testing or both has not been shown to reduce ovarian cancer mortality. Early ovarian cancer is often asymptomatic; later symptoms can be nonspecific, including bloating, abdominal pressure, urinary symptoms, back pain or fatigue, so persistent or concerning symptoms warrant medical evaluation. For younger patients, the National Cancer Institute identifies family history as the single greatest ovarian cancer risk factor, although that population-level finding does not establish a cause for Malamud’s diagnosis. The institute also says hereditary ovarian cancer accounts for about 20% of all ovarian cancer cases; available reporting does not indicate whether Malamud had an inherited cancer-related gene change.
Malamud’s treatment and remission
WSVN 7News reported that Malamud, a Fort Lauderdale mother of three, underwent six rounds of chemotherapy for ovarian cancer at Broward Health Medical Center and later reached remission. The report said she credited hospital staff and her husband with supporting her during treatment.
For epithelial ovarian cancer, treatment commonly combines surgery with a six-cycle chemotherapy course, according to Moffitt Cancer Center. The available reporting does not establish whether Malamud’s treatment followed every element of that general approach.
WSVN also reported that Malamud married her husband in November 2025, shortly before the remission milestone. Her decision to resume routine health visits after years without a checkup following the birth of her last son was part of the message she shared through that report.
Postpartum care remains an ongoing process
Malamud’s experience comes as many new mothers miss recommended follow-up care. A national commercial-claims analysis cited by AHA News found that nearly 57% of new mothers did not attend a medical visit three to eight weeks after delivery; the rate was nearly 61% among mothers ages 20 to 24.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends treating postpartum care as a continuing process, with initial contact within three weeks of delivery and a comprehensive visit no later than 12 weeks, according to Motherly. Those recommendations concern postpartum health care generally and do not establish that missed visits caused or contributed to Malamud’s diagnosis.
