OH! Magazine - Australian Version February 2014 (Australian Version) | Page 22

Ovarian Cancer Australia ( Women’s Health ) IT’S OVARIAN CANCER AWARENESS MONTH Ovarian Cancer Australia share these tips and facts about this alarming disease. ebruary is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, an annual Ovarian Cancer Australia campaign that aims to raise awareness of the symptoms, risks and impacts of ovarian cancer, as well as raise vital funds for support programs, advocacy and research. Teal is the international colour for ovarian cancer, so in a bid to achieve their goals Ovarian Cancer Australia are encouraging you to host an Afternoon Tea – or more accurately, an Afternoon Teal® on Wednesday 26 February. For tips, ideas and inspiration on how to become involved visit www.ovariancancer. com.au or stop by any of the public Afternoon Teal® events being held across the country throughout February (Dates and locations can also be found on the website). F THE FACTS ABOUT OVARIAN CANCER 1 Ovarian cancer most commonly affects women aged over 50 who have been through menopause; however, the disease can affect women of all ages. There is no early detection test for ovarian cancer so the best way of detecting the disease is to know and recognise the symptoms which most commonly include: abdominal or pelvic pain, increased abdominal size or persistent abdominal bloating, the need to urinate often or urgently, or feeling full after eating a small amount. 2 If diagnosed early, the majority of women can survive. Unfortunately without an early detection test for ovarian cancer, the majority of women are diagnosed with advanced stages of the disease. 3 Ovarian cancer has the lowest survival rate of any women’s cancer. In fact, each year 1,400 Australian women are diagnosed and more than 1,000 will die from the disease – that’s one woman every eight hours! 4 5 Each day in Australia, four women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer and three will die from the disease. In Australia, the overall five-year survival rate for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer is 43 per cent. In comparison, the overall five-year survival rate for women diagnosed with breast cancer is 89 per cent. 6 Genetics and family history are responsible for at least 15 per cent of ovarian cancers. If a woman has two or more relatives from the same side of the family affected by ovarian or ovarian and breast cancer, her risk of developing the disease may be increased. This tends to be a result of an inherited faulty gene (BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation) that increases a woman’s risk of developing both cancers. 7 8 Other risk factors women ought to be aware of include: • being over 50 years of age • never having children, being unable to have children, or having children after 30 • never having used oral contraceptives • having endometriosis • lifestyle factors: such as smoking tobacco, being overweight or eating a high fat diet • and hormonal factors: including early puberty (menstruating before 12) or late menopause (onset after 50). Ovarian Cancer Australia is a not-for-profit organisation founded in 2001 by people who have been affected by ovarian cancer, either themselves or through someone they love. It provides support for women and their families, raises community awareness of ovarian cancer, advocates for improved services for women and promotes world class ovarian cancer research to help save lives and ensure no woman with ovarian cancer walks alone. For further information visit: www.ovariancancer.net.au 22 ISSUE 7 ( OH! MAGAZINE )