February is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and so I thought I should help spread the word. So, if you ever wanted to get to know this disease here are the latest stats…
- Ovarian cancer is the 9th most common cancer diagnosed in Australian women, but it is on the rise. 835 women were diagnosed with ovarian cancer in Australia in 1982 and an estimated 1,500 women are expected to be diagnosed in 2015 (that’s about one in 80 women).
- The prognosis for women with ovarian cancer is relatively poor. It is the most serious and life threatening of all gynaecological cancers (these are cancers of the cervix, vulva, vagina, uterus, ovary and placenta) . Every year around 800 Australian women will lose their battle with ovarian cancer, with one woman dying every 11 hours.
- Cancer people talk in five year relative survival rates. For Australian ovarian cancer patients, only 49% can expect to survive five years, compared with 88.3% for breast cancer. (This rate drops further for women under 40 and over 85). However, things are improving. The survival rate for ovarian cancer has increased by 9% since 2006 and if the disease is detected and treated at an early stage there is a much higher chance of surviving past five years.
- Interestingly Australia is one of the best performing countries in terms of five-year survival rates, aside from 54% in Canada and Great Britain. Does that mean if I travel to the UK, maybe on the way to Paris, my chance of survival increases? I like this theory!
As ovarian cancer is much more difficult to see than most cancers and there is no early detection test or screening for it, awareness is imperative. The Ovarian Cancer Awareness movement is still on it’s P plates in Australian compared with other cancers, but here’s what they want you to know…
- Ovarian cancer must be considered in cases of otherwise unexplained pelvic, abdominal and gastrointestinal disorders
- Ovarian cancers are often mistakenly diagnosed as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Indigestion and menopausal conditions
- There is no reliable screening test for Ovarian Cancer
- The Pap test does not detect ovarian cancer
- Early symptoms for Ovarian Cancer do exist. The symptoms are often vague and can be mistaken for other benign conditions. If you experience some of these symptoms for more than a week or two, see your doctor immediately.
What you can do…
Get to know your symptoms: Ovarian cancer is a bitch, so do what you can to avoid it or detect it early. According to Ovarian Cancer Australia, the four most common symptoms of ovarian cancer include:
- Abdominal or pelvic pain.
- Increased abdominal size or persistent abdominal bloating.
- Needing to urinate often or urgently.
- Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly.
Donate: Help Ovarian Cancer Australian raise money to help spread the awareness campaign and to support patients. You can do so at this link. Also February 29 is Teal Ribbon Day so please purchase one.
Finally, here’s what it looks like (spooky, eh?)
