Do you know the symptoms of ovarian cancer?

February is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month and Ovarian Cancer Australia have provided a few facts on the disease and symptoms that, if recognised and followed up with a medical appointment, might just save your life.

What Are The Symptoms Of Ovarian Cancer?

The four most frequently reported symptoms from women diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer are:

• Persistent abdominal pain or pelvic (lower abdominal) pain.
• A noticeable increase in abdominal size or abdominal bloating.
• Needing to rush to the toilet to urinate often or urgently.
• Feeling full quickly or finding it difficult to eat.

Other symptoms that have been commonly reported by women with ovarian cancer include:

• Vague but persistent stomach upsets such as wind, nausea, heart burn or indigestion
• Vaginal bleeding
• Change in bowel habits
• Weight loss or weight gain
• Excessive fatigue

Did you know?

• In 2010, more than 1500 Australia women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
• More than 850 will die from the disease – that’s 1 woman every 11 hours.
• 75% of women are diagnosed in the advanced stages and will not live beyond 5 years.
• Ovarian cancer is the 6th most common cause of death in Australian women.
• Ovarian cancer can affect women of all ages – girls as young as 7 have been diagnosed. But the risk of getting ovarian cancer increases with age. The average age for an ovarian cancer diagnosis is 64.
• There is no detection test – a Pap smear does NOT detect ovarian cancer.
• The majority of Australian women DON’T know the symptoms of ovarian cancer but almost all women with ovarian cancer suffer symptoms.
• To ensure a good chance of survival it is essential that ovarian cancer is caught in the early stages.
• If found in the early stages, the majority of women will be alive and well after five years.
• Awareness of symptoms is the principle means of early diagnosis to save lives!
• With the help of the media, we aim to save lives by educating women about the symptoms of ovarian cancer. We aim to inform them about what to do if they have symptoms, empowering them to manage their health.

Pass this link on to all your female friends - education about the disease and its symptoms is a powerful tool.