Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month: TEAL TAKE OVER

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

Each cancer awareness initiative has its own "signature" color (breast cancer being pink) with ovarian cancer's being teal. My friend Crystal at My Ramblings lost someone very near & dear to her at a young age -- her grandmother. While no one in my immediate family nor myself have been affected by ovarian cancer, I can relate to losing my own grandmother at a young age (from breast cancer, another hideous disease.)

I join Crystal in raising ovarian cancer awareness by participating in the TEAL TAKE OVER: Blog Link Up.

Here are some facts about ovarian cancer:

This is a disease that is silent... the symptoms are common with other diseases and disorders, so less than 20% of women are diagnosed in the early stages. Early detection is key.

 

By the Numbers...

• 5th leading cause of cancer deaths in American Women
• 22,000 American Women will be diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer in 2012.
• 15,500 Women in American will die from Ovarian Cancer in 2012.
• A woman's lifetime risk of developing invasive Ovarian Cancer is 1 in 71.

Symptoms...

• Pain in the pelvic or abdominal area (the area below your stomach and in between your hip bones).
• Back pain.
• Being tired all the time.
• Bloating, which is when the area below your stomach swells or feels full.
• A change in your bathroom habits, such as having to pass urine very badly or very often.
• An upset stomach or heartburn.
• Discharge from your vagina that is not normal for you.
• Pain with intercourse.
• Constipation
• Menstrual Irregularities.
• About 10 to 15 percent of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer have a hereditary tendency to develop the disease.

Increased Risk

• Older women (Middle Age or older)
• Personal or Family history of Ovarian, Breast or Colorectal Cancer
• Having never been pregnant or given birth
• Eastern European Jewish background
• Have endometriosis

Other Points of Interest...

• Early detection is key.
• Women need to learn their own bodies, to know if the symptoms are abnormal.
• There is no test for early detection. Pap tests do not detect Ovarian Cancer
• The symptoms are often misdiagnosed. Talk to your doctor if you are experiencing symptoms and ask for a transvaginal ultrasound or a CA-125 blood test, especially if you are at an increased risk.

 

PLEASE pass this information along to all of the women that you love!

Sources of Information...
Ovarian Cancer: What All Women Need to Know from the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance.

Ovarian Cancer: Inside Knowledge from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.