KimberleyDawn
06-23-2003, 01:07 PM
I hear and see lots of information on breast and cervical cancer but I honestly hadn't heard much about ovarian cancer until recently. A very close friend of my mom is going through treatment for advanced stage ovarian cancer and it is not pretty. She feels very stongly that had there been more information available to her she would have sought medical advice sooner and maybe had a stronger chance for survival.
I bought a cookbook that her support group is selling to raise money and this information was inside:
"Ovarian cancer: "The disease that whispers"
Each year, an estimated 2500 Canadian women are diagnoses with ovarian cancer and an estimated 1550 died of this disease in 2002. Ovarian cancer is the 5th leading cause of cancer death in women. If the disease is diagnosed and treated while it's still localized, the five year survival rate is as high as 90%. Unfortunately, only 25% off women are diagnosed with localized disease. As a result, the five year survival rate overall is just 44% and is as low as 20% for advanced stage disease.
The members of the ovarian support group encourage healthy women to be pro-active and to take control of their health by knowing thier bodies and being aware of ovarian cancer.
Symptoms of ovarian cancer:
-pelvic pain or heaviness, lower back or leg pain
-bloating, gas, nausea, indigestion or loss of appetite, weight loss or gain
-frequent urination or change in bowel habits
-fatigue
-menstrual irregularities
If you have two or more family relatives with ovarian, breast, endometrial or colorectal cancer speak to you doctor about genetic counseling. it is important to know that only 10% of ovarian cancer is due to genetic predisposition.
Factors that reduce your risk of ovarian cancer are:
-multiple pregnancies, having breastfed your children for up to a year
-not having been on fertility drungs
-being on the birth control pill for at least 5-6 years
-late age at start of menstration and early menopause
-tubal ligation and hyterectomy with removal of ovaries"
Now that I have provided you with this little bit of information, please take the time to look into this further and pass the information on to your girlfriends. And last but not least, for goodness sake TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR about it.
Kim
I bought a cookbook that her support group is selling to raise money and this information was inside:
"Ovarian cancer: "The disease that whispers"
Each year, an estimated 2500 Canadian women are diagnoses with ovarian cancer and an estimated 1550 died of this disease in 2002. Ovarian cancer is the 5th leading cause of cancer death in women. If the disease is diagnosed and treated while it's still localized, the five year survival rate is as high as 90%. Unfortunately, only 25% off women are diagnosed with localized disease. As a result, the five year survival rate overall is just 44% and is as low as 20% for advanced stage disease.
The members of the ovarian support group encourage healthy women to be pro-active and to take control of their health by knowing thier bodies and being aware of ovarian cancer.
Symptoms of ovarian cancer:
-pelvic pain or heaviness, lower back or leg pain
-bloating, gas, nausea, indigestion or loss of appetite, weight loss or gain
-frequent urination or change in bowel habits
-fatigue
-menstrual irregularities
If you have two or more family relatives with ovarian, breast, endometrial or colorectal cancer speak to you doctor about genetic counseling. it is important to know that only 10% of ovarian cancer is due to genetic predisposition.
Factors that reduce your risk of ovarian cancer are:
-multiple pregnancies, having breastfed your children for up to a year
-not having been on fertility drungs
-being on the birth control pill for at least 5-6 years
-late age at start of menstration and early menopause
-tubal ligation and hyterectomy with removal of ovaries"
Now that I have provided you with this little bit of information, please take the time to look into this further and pass the information on to your girlfriends. And last but not least, for goodness sake TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR about it.
Kim