Every year 2,500 women will be diagnosed in Canada with Ovarian Cancer.
*Each year 1,500 women die from ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is a serious disease with no early detection test, most women are unfortunately diagnosed in the later stages of the disease and 60% of them will not survive past four years.
Even though the statistics surrounding the disease are bleak, the good news is that when it is diagnosed in the earliest stages, the long-term survival rate is 90%. Education and awareness are the best tools we have for -improving survival by alerting women to the signs and symptoms of the disease.
Vague but persistent gas, nausea, indigestion, constipation, or diarrhea
Abdominal bloating, feeling of fullness, or pain
Frequen or urgent urination
Menstrual disorders, pain during intercourse
Weight gain or loss
Some of the risk factors linked to Ovarian Cancer include:
Personal or family history of breast, ovarian, endometrial, prostate, or colon cancer.
Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer or syndrome.
Unexplained infertility, no pregnancies, and no history of birth control pill usage
Use of high-dose estrogen for long periods without progesterone may be a risk factor
North American or Northern European heritage and / or Ashkenazi Jewish population
Living in an industrialized country.
TAKE ACTION If any symptom lasts more than 2 weeks!
Screening for ovarian cancer includes a combination pelvic/rectal exam, a CA-125 blood test, and a transvaginal sonogram.