As the daffodils sway in the wind, dancing together with their beautiful bright heads on strong green stems bring together your thoughts of women’s health and for this month of March is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Ovarian Cancer is the sixth most common cancer in women. In the UK there are approximately 21 new cases of ovarian cancer diagnosed every day. Despite survival rates increasing only 35.3% women diagnosed with ovarian cancer survive their disease for ten years or more. Further research and early diagnosis would help improve this survival rate. Early Diagnosis helps with survival rates, many women unfortunately do not know the symptoms, help them help themselves let them know March is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.
Photo by makefuneoflife.net
Ovarian Cancer Symptoms
Most Common:
Persistent Bloating
Feeling Full
Needing to wee often
Stomach Pain
Other Symptoms:
Unintentional weight loss
Tiredness
Post-menopausal vaginal bleeding
Back pain
Indigegstion
Changes in bowel habit
Pain during sex
Early diagnosis is imortant
Please seek medical advice if you have any of these symptoms or are worried. Speak to your GP. Early diagnosis of ovarian cancer is a game changer. When a person is diagnosed with stage 1, they generally have a 90% chance of surviving five years or more. However if they ignore the symptoms and the cancer is diagnosed at an advanced stage the survival rate is reduced to a staggering 4%. Quite often cancers have spread due to being overlooked or misdiagnosed, when they have metastasised, the cancer becomes more difficult to treat and treatment options become more limited, thus survival rates drastically lower. Hence early diagnosis is important giving the opportunity of providing the best possible care and improving cancer outcomes.
If you are going to read and share one thing this month, please let it be this. Let others know this Mother’s Day Month of March it is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.
If you would like to read further you can read at:
Cancer Research UK
Ovarian Cancer Action