September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

In 2008 nearly 22,000 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer and more than 15,500 will die.

Sometimes called the disease that whispers, ovarian cancer symptoms are often not recognized until its late stages when it is most deadly. Found early, ovarian cancer is 90 percent curable but most cases are found after the cancer is already advanced.

President Bush has proclaimed September 2008 ass National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. During September, advocates will be working to raise awareness of ovarian cancer, let women know about its symptoms, and work toward early detection and effective treatment.

Although there is no screening test for ovarian cancer, being aware of its symptoms and following up with a CA-125 blood test, transvaginal ultrasound, and rectal/vaginal pelvic exam can find ovarian cancer early when it is most treatable. Pap smears are not a test for ovarian cancer, and the CA-125 blood test does not effectively screen for it alone.

Symptoms of ovarian cancer include

Bloating
Pelvic or abdominal pain
Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly
Urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency)

When these occur for more than two weeks and are a new occurrence for a woman, a visit to a gynecologist for further testing can help find ovarian cancer so it can be treated.

Recent research has found that combining a simple four point questionnaire about symptoms combined with the CA-125 blood test will find 80 percent of early stage ovarian cancer and 95 percent of late-stage disease.

Women with Lynch syndrome (hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer or HNPCC) have about a 10 percent lifetime risk for ovarian cancer. Guidelines suggest that women with a Lynch syndrome mutation begin annual screening for ovarian cancer between 25 and 35 years of age and consider preventive removal of their ovaries and uterus after they finish childbearing.

More information about ovarian cancer is available from:

National Cancer Institute: Ovarian Cancer
National Ovarian Cancer Coalition including a short video.
Ovarian Cancer National Alliance
Marsha Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer Research

If you have more questions about ovarian cancer you can call the SHARE Ovarian Cancer Hotline at (866)537-4273.

Kicking off National Ovarian Cancer Awareness month, the Seventh Biennial Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium will be held in Seattle on September 4-5, 2008 at the Marsha Rivkin Center.

This news article was originally posted on September 1st, 2008 and was accurate at the time of publication. Since then, information may have changed or links may now be outdated. Please call our Answer Line 1-877-427-2111 for the latest information, or talk to your doctor before making any medical decisions.

Posted by Kate Murphy on September 1st, 2008
Tags: HNPCC, Lynch syndrome, ovarian cancer