FEB 2013 IS OVARIAN CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
Women – get familiar with your bodies during Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
It’s one of the hardest cancers to detect, it’s the leading cause of death from gynecological cancer, and less than half of all women diagnosed will survive five years.
This February, Cancer Council Queensland is calling on all women to get familiar with the symptoms of ovarian cancer.
Cancer survivor, Merran Williams, knows all too well the importance of early detection.
At age 55, the former gynecological nurse was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and underwent surgery and chemotherapy treatment.
Ms Williams has joined Cancer Council Queensland in calling on all women to familiarise themselves with the symptoms of ovarian cancer as part of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.
Ms Williams said her cancer diagnosis came completely out of the blue.
“Being a gynecological nurse I always took my health seriously and got regular checkups,” she said.
“It was during one of those regular checkups, for an unrelated issue, that I found out I had ovarian cancer.
“I had stage three cancer and I didn’t know – I was found to have cancer on both ovaries and had a small spot of cancer that had escaped outside the pelvis.”
Today Ms Williams is pleased to announce she has been cancer-free for four years and is a passionate advocate for ovarian cancer awareness.
Ms Williams is also the organiser of a gynecological cancer support group that meets in Brisbane and on the Sunshine Coast once a month for coffee or lunch.
“We’ve become great friends and we encourage anyone who has been touched by a gynecological cancer to join us.”
Cancer Council Queensland spokesperson Katie Clift said it was important for all women to know the symptoms of ovarian cancer.
“In Queensland each year, around 248 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer and about 137 women die from the disease,” she said.
“Over 80 per cent of diagnoses occur in women aged 50 years or over.
“Ovarian cancer can be difficult to diagnose because the symptoms are ones that many women will normally experience from time to time and are often symptoms of less serious and more common health problems.
“But, when these symptoms are new for you, have persisted for two weeks or more and you have them on all or most days, then it’s time to see your doctor.”
Symptoms to look for:
• Increased abdominal size or bloating
• Unexplained abdominal or pelvic pain
• Feeling full and/or having difficulty eating
• Increased urinary urgency or change in bowel habits
• Unexplained weight gain or loss
• Vaginal bleeding
• Back pain
• Indigestion or nausea
• Excessive fatigue
“Luckily, most women with these symptoms will not have ovarian cancer and your doctor will first identify more common causes of these symptoms,” Ms Clift said.
For more information about Ms William’s gynecological cancer support group, email merranp@gmail.com.
Queenslanders with questions about ovarian cancer or seeking support can call the Cancer Council Helpline on 13 11 20, Monday to Friday between 8am and 6pm.
