March is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month - Help Raise Awareness!
March marks Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, and we are supporting The Eve Appeal to help raise awareness!
Ovarian cancer is the sixth most common cancer in women, yet research shows that awareness of its signs and symptoms remains alarmingly low.
The lack of awareness contributes to late-stage diagnoses, which can significantly reduce the chances of successful treatment. In the UK, the number of women diagnosed at an early stage varies between 21% - 62% depending on their location.
Some of the symptoms of ovarian cancer are often the same as for other less serious conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or premenstrual syndrome (PMS). This means it can be difficult to recognise the symptoms in the early stages.
The main symptoms of ovarian cancer are:
- unexpected increased abdominal size and persistent bloating (not bloating that comes and goes)
- feeling full quickly, loss of appetite or feeling sick
- pelvic and/or abdominal pain
- needing to wee (urinate) more often
- changes in bowel habits.
Less common symptoms are: back pain, losing weight unexpectedly, feeling tired, and vaginal bleeding that is different or new. Use The Eve Appeal’s useful leaflet on how to spot the signs and symptoms.
If you have any of these symptoms, it is important you see your GP. With early detection, the prognosis for ovarian cancer improves dramatically, which is why raising awareness is so crucial.
This March, we urge everyone to help spread the word.
You can find out more about ovarian cancer on The Eve Appeal website. It includes information on signs and symptoms, risk factors, diagnosis and treatment.