Q&A: Beverly Long, MD Discusses Cervical Cancer Prevention

Beverly Long, MD - Assistant Professor, Gynecologic Oncology, GW Medical Faculty Associates and Member, Gynecological Oncology Program, GW Cancer Center
Q&A banner with Beverly Long

Dr. Long is an accomplished surgeon and assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Her expertise includes administration of chemotherapy, targeted therapies and immunotherapy for gynecologic cancers. Her clinical interests include complex ovarian cancer surgery, robotic surgery and extramammary Paget’s disease.

What brought you to GW?

Working at GW gives me the opportunity to care for underserved patients and work with a great team!

If you weren’t in the field of gynecologic oncology, what would you be doing?

I would probably pick something totally different - maybe I’d open a restaurant or something.

What inspires you most about your work?

I love connecting with my patients and being involved in all aspects of their care - including surgery, chemotherapy, and follow-up.

What is a current project or work you are excited about and why?

We are in the process of opening a study to validate patient self-sampling with an HPV methylation assay. This could allow more women to be more accurately screened for cervical cancer without ever having to come to the doctor’s office!

January is Cervical Health Awareness Month. What do you wish more people knew when it comes to reducing their risk for cervical cancer or catching it early?

I wish people knew that we could eradicate cervical cancer in the US if we increased our HPV vaccination rates. The HPV vaccine is safe, effective, and it does not promote high risk sexual activity. Get your kids vaccinated!

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