September is Ovarian Cancer Month and the Ovarian Cancer Canada organization hopes to use the time to create a greater awareness surrounding the disease and the affect it has on women and families.
Ovarian Cancer Canada is the only national charity in Canada dedicated solely to overcoming ovarian cancer.
Its mission is to:
Support women and their families living with the disease
Raise awareness in the general public and with health care professionals
Raise funding for research to develop reliable early detection techniques, improved treatments and ultimately, a cure
Ovarian Cancer Canada provides support to women living with ovarian cancer and their families, raises awareness among well women and health care professionals, and raises funds for research:
According to the statistics:
Ovarian cancer is Canada's most fatal women's cancer.
17,000 Canadian women are currently living with ovarian cancer.
2,600 women will be diagnosed in Canada this year.
Ovarian cancer is often overlooked and under-diagnosed.
There is no screening test for ovarian cancer.
Ovarian cancer is often diagnosed in late stages, resulting in five-year survival rates of less than 30 per cent.
Most common symptoms include:
increased adominal size/persistent bloating
persistent pelvic or abdominal pain
difficulty eating or feeling full quickly
urinary symptoms (needing to urinate more urgently or more often than usual)
If a woman experiences one or more of these symptoms as new and for longer than three weeks, Ovarian Cancer Canada urges her to contact her physician.
If ovarian cancer is suspected, ask your doctor to refer you to a gynecologic oncologist. For a list of these specialists in your region, contact Ovarian Cancer Canada toll-free at 1-877-413-7970 or visit ovariancanada.org.
September 1st marks the kick-off of National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. This year, 2600 Canadian women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer - the most fatal gynecologic cancer and 1750 will die.
"With no reliable screening test for ovarian cancer, the majority of women are diagnosed in advanced stages of the disease when the survival rate is less than 30 per cent," says Anne Chase, survivor and National Board Member for Ovarian Cancer Canada. "As the symptoms can be subtle or mistaken for less serious conditions, women need to be aware of their bodies."
For more information visit: www.ovariancanada.org. www.facebook.com/pages/Ovarian-Cancer-Canada/102394063730.
