Doctor moonlights as rock star to raise awareness about gynecological cancers

The Westchester woman said treating women with ovarian, uterine, cervical and vaginal cancers is her calling.

Nadia Galindo

Sep 29, 2022, 9:23 PM

Updated 801 days ago

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Dr. Gizelka David-West is a gynecologic oncologist by day and rock star by night.
The Westchester woman said treating women with ovarian, uterine, cervical and vaginal cancers is her calling.
"I felt this is a group of woman who really needed me and really needed the compassion, the help that I could provide and the care I could offer them," said Dr. David-West, gynecologic oncologist at Northwell Health Cancer Institute at Northern Westchester and Phelps Hospitals.
She has combined this passion for her patients with her musical talents.
David-West is the front singer for N.E.D., which stands for No Evidence of Disease.
That is a phrase patients are told by doctors after their cancer is no longer detectable.
"It’s actually an exciting phrase or statement to share with a patient. We thought it would be very fitting for our band," she said.
All band members of N.E.D. are gynecologic oncologists.
They've played with the likes of Melissa Ethridge and were even the focus of a documentary, but the rock star life is really more of an added bonus.
"We travel all over the country performing shows, spreading awareness, raising education on gynecologic cancers," said David-West.
Each year, more than 71,000 women are diagnosed with gynecological cancers.
September is gynecologic cancer awareness month, and this Saturday the band is playing a sold-out show at the Cutting Room in Manhattan.
They are raising money for the Jazz Foundation, which helps musicians pay for gynecologic cancer treatments.
The band proves that doctors are not only our everyday heroes, but they can also be rock stars.