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| Ovarian cancer awareness month
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Get involved with Afternoon Teal
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February 24th is Teal Ribbon Day - the official Ovarian Cancer Awareness Day for Australia (the International Awareness day is in May).
Ovarian cancer is much less known and talked about than other female cancers, yet it's estimated that there will be almost 1,500 new cases of ovarian cancer diagnosed in 2016. This only accounts for 2.5% of all new cancers diagnosed in females, but the estimated number of deaths from ovarian cancer in 2016 is likely to more than 1,000. Most ovarian cancers develop after menopause and while ovarian cancer under 40 is rare, it still occurs.
Like all cancers, the earlier you can detect it, the better your chances of survival. In Australia, the overall five-year survival rate for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer is approximately 43%, but this is 93% when the cancer is still confined to the ovaries… so early detection is absolutely key.
Know what to look for
It can be difficult to diagnose ovarian cancer, because the symptoms are similar to those that many women experience from time to time, and they are often symptoms of less serious and more common health problems.
But we do know that ovarian cancer is NOT a silent disease. Women who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer report four types of symptoms from time to time. However, if any of the following symptoms are not typical in your usual cycle or if you experience them multiple times during a 4-week period, you should go to your GP:
- Abdominal or pelvic pain
- Increased abdominal size or persistent abdominal bloating
- Needing to urinate often or urgently
- Feeling full after eating a small amount
There are three types of ovarian cancer, but the most common is the epithelial type (90% of cases) that arises from the cells on the outside of the ovary. At least 15% of epithelial ovarian cancers are thought to be the result of inheriting a faulty gene from your mother or father.
Inheriting a faulty BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene is the likely cause of genetic ovarian cancer. Most men and women have two normal copies of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene. Some women have a genetic fault in one copy of their BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes and so they don't produce a normal amount of this cancer-fighting substance.
These women are at higher risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer (and some other cancers).
Women who inherit a faulty BRCA1 gene have approximately a 40% lifetime risk of developing ovarian cancer, while women who inherit a faulty BRCA2 gene have approximately a 10-15% risk of developing ovarian cancer.
If one of your parents has a faulty BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, there is a 50% chance that you may inherit their faulty copy and a 50% chance you may inherit their normal copy. If you inherit a faulty copy, then each of your children has a 50% chance of inheriting it from you. Both men and women can pass on the BRCA gene.
So it's well worth getting tested if you have a family history of faulty BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene.
Afternoon Teal Campaign – Get involved
It's not too late to get involved and host your own Afternoon Teal this February. Get your friends or colleagues together for some sweet treats and great company to raise funds and share the symptoms and signs that all women should know about – your cake, cuppa, conversation and donations may just save a life.
Share your event using #afternoonteal #knowovariancancer and #ovariancanceroz.
Show your support and help fundraise for research into this disease by wearing a teal ribbon on February 24th. Ribbons are $2, available in Chemmart Pharmacies and Black Pepper stores or from Coles supermarkets in Queensland.
Get involved: For more information click here |
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