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Sept. 5 march to call attention to deadly, little-known cancer for Ovarian Cancer Month
by Jenny Davies-Schley
Ovarian Cancer March
On Friday, September 5th at 11:30 AM, Colorado Ovarian Cancer Alliance/COCA supporters will march from the west end of Denver’s Civic Center Park to the Capitol’s west steps to bring attention to little-known ovarian cancer. Channel 7 News Anchor Bertha Lynn will emcee the event.
The March is part of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month’s “National Teal Day.” The message of the day: Know the risks and symptoms. Advocate for yourself and your loved ones. Insist on appropriate testing. And help secure research funding for this deadly cancer.
A Deadly Cancer
Ovarian cancer is NOT rare—every year 20,000 American and 330 Coloradan women are diagnosed. Late-stage detection is common, which is why only 45% of women who have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer survive 5 years. Early diagnosis is the key to survival!
Missed Diagnosis Common
Annual gynecological/pap exams do NOT check for ovarian cancer—and there is NO screening tool for ovarian cancer—so 81% of cases are diagnosed at advanced stages. Because women often don’t report the “no big deal” symptoms, doctors often miss ovarian cancer.
As ovarian cancer survivor Nana Sommers says, “I never missed a yearly check up with my gynecologist, I had regular pelvic exams and pap smears, but in all the years I have been seeing a gynecologist no one ever spoke to me about ovarian cancer.”
4 Classic Symptoms
95% of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer have one or more of the 4 classic symptoms. Identifying these symptoms—and reporting to a gynecologist immediately—is the best way for women to detect ovarian cancer early:
- Bloating
- Abdominal pain
- Eating difficulty/Feeling full quickly
- Frequent urge to urinate
For years Nancy Zurbuch swallowed antacids to ease her bloating/eating difficulties and attributed her urge to urinate frequently to bladder infections before becoming concerned about “mild discomfort in my abdomen, poorly defined, but it was especially noticeable during my gym workouts.” By the time she was diagnosed, she had late stage III-C ovarian cancer.
Be A Self-Advocate!
Diagnosed with late stage, metastasized ovarian cancer, Mary Phillips explains, “If I had known the symptoms of ovarian cancer, I might have checked with my doctor months before and insisted on a transvaginal ultrasound and a CA125 blood test. If I had been diagnosed at Stage I or II, I would have had a prognosis of an 80 to 90% chance of being alive in five years instead of the 30% chance I have now.”
Survival depends on being your own best advocate! Know the symptoms, listen to your body and be an advocate for yourself if you experience one or more symptoms for 2 weeks or more. DON’T WAIT—see a gynecologist, ask about ovarian cancer and request a CA125 blood test, a pelvic/rectal exam and a transvaginal ultrasound.
March With Us
Join us on September 5th at 11:30 AM at Civic Center Park to honor ovarian cancer survivors like Nana, Nancy and Mary—and to get the word out about risks and symptoms so other women have a better chance of surviving and thriving.
The Colorado Ovarian Cancer Alliance (COCA)—a nonprofit make up survivors, families and friends—educates about the risks, symptoms and importance of early diagnosis; provides support for women with ovarian cancer and their families; and advocates for research and improvement in diagnosis and treatment. If you have questions, call 1.800.428.0642 or go to www.colo-ovariancancer.org.