September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

September is Ovarian Cancer Survival month and emphasizes recognition of early symptoms. Contrary to popular belief, ovarian cancer is not asymptomatic in early stages. Recognition of ovarian cancer symptoms more than doubles women's chances of survival.

Myth: Ovarian cancer does not affect that many women.

Fact: Ovarian cancer occurs in 1 in 69 women and is the fifth cause of cancer deaths among women in the U.S., according to statistics from the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance. Every woman has a 1.4 percent chance of being diagnosed with ovarian cancer during her lifetime. About 20,000 American women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year, and approximately 15,000 American women will die from the disease in 2007.

Myth: Ovarian cancer has no recognizable symptoms.

Fact: Ovarian cancer has been called the silent killer because of its high mortality rate as it was previously thought to reveal no symptoms in its earliest, most curable stages. In actuality, research from the Women's Cancer Network shows that approximately 90 percent of women with early-stage ovarian cancer experience symptoms. Ovarian cancer does have symptoms but most women fail to recognize them in the early stages, so they often do not get a diagnosis until too late to effectively treat the disease.

Researchers have identified a cluster of symptoms that frequently indicate ovarian cancer, and advocates hope to get people talking about these symptoms and ovarian cancer.

Symptoms

The typical symptoms for ovarian cancer are:
- Bloating
- Pelvic or abdominal pain
- Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly
- Urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency)
- Symptoms are persistent and represent a change from the normal

These symptoms can be attributed to other medical or health conditions and are vague, therefore, women often disregard them or ovarian cancer is misdiagnosed, leading to a late diagnosis. Women who experience these symptoms almost daily for more than a few weeks should visit their gynecologist. Other symptoms may include constipation or diarrhea, nausea, indigestion or gas, abnormal vaginal bleeding, unusual fatigue, unexplained weight loss or gain, shortness of breath, or lower back pain.

Early Detection

The vast majority of women (an estimated 75-80 percent) are diagnosed in advanced stages, and only have a 30 percent survival rate at five years. Ovarian Cancer National Alliance statistics reveal that only 19 percent of women in the U.S. receive a diagnosis when the cancer is in early stages. When diagnosed before the cancer spreads beyond the ovaries, the survival rate is 93 percent at five years after diagnosis.

Unfortunately, there is no screening test for ovarian cancer, like a Pap smear for cervical cancer or mammogram for breast cancer. One blood test, the CA-125 blood test, currently measures the amount of a certain protein that is often elevated with ovarian cancer. However, the test is not 100 percent accurate, and the best chance for early detection is for women to recognize symptoms and seek medical testing.

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month includes national education programs, but gets significantly less publicity than Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October due to the general misunderstandings about symptoms, early detection, and survival rates. See the Women's Cancer Network and Ovarian Cancer National Alliance web sites for more information about early detection or details about events near you.

Sources:

Ovarian Cancer National Alliance

Women's Cancer Network

Newswise