Ovarian Cancer : Do You Know The Whispering Symptoms?

THE TRUTH IS that most women, and in fact, most people, don't think much about Ovarian Cancer. Most don't know the symptoms of one of the most deadly forms of women's cancer. Each year, approximately 21, 980 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer and approximately 14,270 women will die. The World Health Organization IARC department estimated that there are over 238, 000 new cases diagnosed annually and nearly 152, 000 deaths worldwide.

The cancer TYPICALLY occurs in women in their fifties and sixties with the median age being 63. Many women who are diagnosed with Ovarian cancer have a genetic history that may include carrying the BRCA mutation gene and having a strong family history of ovarian cancer.

Unfortunately, many women don't seek help until the disease has begun to spread, but if detected in its earliest stage, the five-year survival rate is more than 93% The symptoms of ovarian cancer are often subtle and easily confused with other ailments.

Symptoms of ovarian cancer can be difficult to pinpoint and are often mistaken for symptoms of less serious conditions, such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome. These are the signs to look out for:

• Persistent stomach pain
• Persistent bloating
• Finding it difficult to eat or feeling full quickly
• Urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency) 

Other symptoms you may notice include:

• Back pain
• Changes in your bowel habits (diarrhea or constipation)
• Feeling tired all the time
• Weight gain
• Nausea
• Indigestion
• Gas
• Shortness of breath

There is no adequate screening test of ovarian cancer at this time which is one of the reasons that this cancer is often discovered in later stages.

Talk to your doctor if symptoms last more than 2-3 weeks or if you have been experiencing any of these symptoms on most days. You are your best advocate.

It is true! September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and that means that more people will be openly talking about the symptoms of ovarian cancer in attempt to try and raise awareness about this deadly cancer. If I didn't think that was a good thing, I wouldn't be focusing an entire post to the subject of raising awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer. We must get the information to the masses. I implore you to spread the word, if only to save the life of even one other person. It shouldn't be a taboo subject. The person you share this information with might well be the person that really needs to hear the information. The thing is, while I am on board 100% with raising awareness this month, that simply isn't enough! It isn't enough to think about or talk about these symptoms for the month of September and then forget about them as the next type of awareness month rolls around.
This cancer sneaks up on you! The symptoms whisper! Often times, the person who is diagnosed didn't even realize anything was wrong until they heard the doctor give them the dreaded diagnosis. Ovarian Cancer symptoms WHISPER! You may notice only a slight irregularity in what you consider to be normal symptoms. This is why women must pay close attention to their bodies.

Because I am a woman, this cause is important to me, but it should be important to anyone who has a woman in their life as well. Ovarian cancer took the life of my best friend in the world, my Mother. The symptoms didn't manifest in a way that made her notice and by the time she realized anything was "not normal," her cancer had progressed to a place of great concern. Too often this is the case with those who are diagnosed. Because I don't want anyone in the world to experience the heartache that I experience on a daily basis from missing my mother, I earnestly request that you pass this information on to every woman in your life. It will only take a moment to pass this information on but your actions could change the life of someone forever!
Thanks for visiting my blog today and taking the time to read this message.