Bloating. Abdominal pain. Fatigue. Many women experience these feelings on a daily basis. Yet how many of us know that, taken together, these symptoms could be a sign of ovarian cancer? This year alone, nearly 23,000 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer. More than 14,000 will die from the disease. According to the American Cancer Society, ovarian cancer is now the deadliest gynecological cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death among women in the U.S.
The silver lining? Research shows the five-year survival rate for ovarian cancer significantly increases for women who are diagnosed at an earlier stage. Right now, the five-year survival rate for ovarian cancer is 45 percent. For those who find the cancer in Stages 1A and 1B, the survival rate jumps to 92 percent. Currently, however, only 15 percent of all ovarian cancers are found in these early stages.
That’s why it’s so critical for women to be aware of the signs of ovarian cancer. The most common symptoms include bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, trouble eating or feeling full quickly and urinary difficulties such as urgency and frequency. If these feelings or symptoms are new or unusual, or if they occur more than 12 times within the course of a month, women should contact their gynecologist immediately. While fatigue, pain with sexual intercourse, indigestion, constipation, back pain and menstrual irregularities may also be associated with ovarian cancer, these are not the main indicators used for identifying the cancer.
The main thing to remember is you should always be your own advocate. If you can button your pants but have difficulty zipping them due to bloating, don’t dismiss it! No one knows your body better than you. It is always better to go speak with a physician for peace of mind than be left wondering. There are far too many cases of women who wished they’d pursued medical advice sooner.
Help protect your loved ones by spreading the word about the importance of ovarian cancer education. Join the Arkansas Ovarian Cancer Coalition (AROVCC) next Thursday, Sept. 8, as it lights up Little Rock’s downtown bridges for Teal Light Night at the Clinton Presidential Center, with teal being the official color of ovarian cancer awareness. Attendees can help celebrate, remember and raise funds for ovarian cancer awareness — all while enjoying food, drinks, a photo booth and live and silent auctions. Luminaires may also be reserved in memory of women lost and in honor of survivors. All survivors are invited to attend for free. General admission or VIP tickets are available for purchase by clicking here.
Here’s to celebrating 30 Days of Teal!
Amy Lasseigne is one of the founding board members of the Arkansas Ovarian Cancer Coalition (ARVOCC) and a marketing analyst for the Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health in North Little Rock. Her drive for the ARVOCC comes from watching her mother battle ovarian cancer four times over eight years and the countless emails she receives from caretakers, survivors and people who have lost loved ones to this disease. For more information, visit the Arkansas Ovarian Cancer Coalition website.