As you may know, March has been Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, and as the month draws to a close, it’s the perfect time to continue the discussion to make sure we do not lose sight of the uphill struggle we’re in to fight this cancer.
Ovarian cancer develops when abnormal cells grow in and around the ovaries and fallopian tubes. Anyone with ovaries can get ovarian cancer, however chances increase for people over the age of 50, and this type of cancer is often hereditary.
Ovarian Cancer Awareness month is so important for the following reasons:
Its estimated around 41,000 people die from ovarian cancer each year in the UK, that’s a shocking rate of one woman every two hours, this is often because the symptoms are common and are misdiagnosed.
The four main symptoms include:
- Persistent stomach pain
- Persistent bloating
- Difficulty eating/feeling full more quickly
- Needing to wee more frequently
However, many of these symptoms can also be symptoms of less serious conditions such as IBS or ovarian cysts. It’s important to go to your doctor if you’re experiencing these symptoms so they can find the cause of the issue, it might not be ovarian cancer. Other symptoms include:
- Indigestion
- Back pain
- Changes in bowel habits (going more often or a lot less)
- Unexplained weight loss
- Post-menopausal vaginal bleeding
- Extreme tiredness
The earlier the diagnosis, the easier it is to treat, 95% of women will survive their cancer for five or more years if they are diagnosed at stage 1.
Supporting the people around us going through diagnosis and treatment
Going through the stages of diagnosis for any cancer is a stressful and upsetting time for the induvial and all those around them. Family, friends and colleagues often don’t know where to begin to help. Here are some tips to show your support to someone you care about going through diagnosis:
- Spend time to talk to them, let them take the lead and listen
- Remember cancer might not be the only thing they want to speak and think about
- Make sure you still involve them in as many shared activities as possible
- Educate yourself on what ovarian cancer is, seek reliable information, look on the NHS website or Ovarian.org.uk
If you’re supporting someone at work, make sure you speak to them to see what support they need and make reasonable adjustments for them, its important to treat them with respect and dignity.
Research, Research, Reasearch!
We will never win the fight against, ovarian cancer without research and to fund great research, money is needed.
During Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, people up and down the country have fundraised by walking 100km throughout March, in the Walk in Her Name challenge.
Since 2006 Ovarian.org.uk, who organise Ovarian Cancer Awareness month, have funded £12.3 million of research projects, they continue to fund research that focuses on prevention, early detection and treatment of ovarian cancer, which shows how important Ovarian Cancer Awareness is to all of us.
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Why not also check out our blog on a similar topic Brain Tumour Awareness Month
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