Frank Chervenak, MD - Science Endometriosis 2026: The Big Nerve and Endometriosis

Endometriosis's rare in the spectrum of medicine has had such a great impact during the past 30 years. His words, "The exploration into the unknown with the potential to end suffering captivated me. " In over 30 plus years, he's pioneered excision surgery. He's co-founded the Endofound with Padmalaxme, developed the research center at Coldspring Harbor Lab. You're going to hear about this during the program with over $4 million of funding, something that's increasingly difficult today. He's been awarded the Ellis Iron Island Medal of Honor. And so important, he's into education. He's instituted the high school empower program. Indeed, he was successful in getting mandated in New York State that education exists in the high schools, and this is being expanded in Connecticut. This is a hard thing to do. Over 190 million women are affected worldwide. The average time to diagnosis is four to 12 years, and mostly symptom management.

Endometriosis is a systemic disease, not just bad periods. And validation of pain is real doctrine has been a lifetime goal of Tamar Setchkin. And I want to emphasize there's an ethical dimension to this and why this conference is so important, it's going to develop that there's something so important here, the nerve-centric view. The pain is real. For decades, women were told their pain was in their head. Diagnostic delay, patients wait an average of up to 10 years for a diagnosis. And there's a need for nerve-focused research. And who gets access? New nerve-targeted therapeutic should be accessible to all, not just those to resources, another ethical dimension.

This is going to be a dynamic conference. Today's day is going to emphasize science. Tomorrow will emphasize surgery and patient day will follow. This is a truly wonderful conference that will accompass all dimensions of endometriosis. And I emphasize there's a professional ethical imperative. Women's pain is systematically dismissed, a pattern rooted in gender bias in medicine that still persists fortunately to a diminishing degree. When a diagnosis this prevalent is poorly managed, it's not just a clinical failure, there's an ethical one as well. Endometriosis deserves the same urgency we give to any chronic illness affecting about 200 million people. And I'm telling you, you who are on the frontline know this better than I do. Seven to eight doctors are seen before the correct diagnosis. Normal words are used to dismiss severe pain. Worse outcomes exist for women of color and preventable infertility, nerve damage, and progression.

We need to listen to every port of pelvic pain seriously. Diagnosis, use ultrasound, MRI, and surgery if needed, and think broadly using endometriosis and so important. Too often, hormonal suppression is only thing that's used. Ablation that leaves disease behind unnecessary hysterectomies. What the patients deserve is expert excisional surgery, and you'll hear about this tomorrow. Multidisciplinary care teams, you're going to hear about this infertility preserving approaches. These will all appear in this dynamic conference. Now, I want to emphasize endophon's work at Coldspring Harbor Laboratory, and you'll hear about this in detail. They're developing predictive models that can identify the digital signature years before a laparoscopic lens ever enters the abdomen. Using machine learning with AI to parse through massive data sets aligning phenotypical pain patterns with genetic markers. The goal is to ensure that no women's symptoms are invisible to the healthcare system. I emphasize, as someone who's involved in ethics, that respect for autonomy and informed consent are important.

Patients need to be told about all options, including excision surgery. Omitting it is a failure of informed consent. Women should be partners in their career, not passive recipients of incomplete information. Too much of this has gone on with endometriosis. Patient education is patient empowerment. That is the purpose of this conference, and I applaud what's gone on, getting this information to the high schools, and it's now mandated thanks to Tamer. Here in New York State, it's being expanded to Connecticut and hopefully elsewhere throughout the country. We need to enhance education, address insurance availability. Money is tight everywhere, but this is a priority. Fund research, and I employed Tomert's success in getting research dollars into the system and closed disparity, address racial and socioonomic gaps in care. It's everyone's challenge, and you're going to hear in this conference, it's not just the gynenecologic surgeon, it's pain management, gastroenterology, urology, orthopedics, reproductive endocrinology, mental health, physical therapy, primary care and radiology.

This is a multidisciplinary challenge for all of us.

If she is in pain, it could be endometriosis. This has been Tamar's mission for the past 30 years, and little by little it's sinking in, and he's made great inroads. We need to move his vision forward. Opening a center devoted to disease he spent his life trying to understand is truly humbling beyond words. He's dedicated this to research. I emphasize the Cold Spring Harbor Lab, the Setchkin Research Center. You're going to hear more about this. Education, 17 years of conferences, not just these conferences, but so important, getting it into the high schools and advocacy, legislative from New York State to Connecticut to the nation, mandating endometriosis, education in schools. None of this is easy. And I applaud Dr. Setchkin and his wonderful team and all of you for taking this seriously and moving it forward. The next decade should be one where endometriosis is no longer ignored, dismissed, or undertreated.

It's a privilege to be with all of you. It's a wonderful kickoff to this wonderful conference. Palmer, congratulations.