Ovarian cancer is a disease in which malignant or cancerous cells are found in the ovary. It is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women aged 35 - 74. An estimated one woman in 58 will develop ovarian cancer during her lifetime. To me, that means that someone you know will develop this disease. I know you know more than 58 women! Each year approximately 22,000 new cases of ovarian cancer are diagnosed, and over 15,000 women die from this disease. When diagnosed and treated early (when the cancer is confined to the ovary), the 5 year survival rate is over 90%. Unfortunately, due to ovarian cancer's non-specific symptoms, only 19% of all cases are found at this early stage. If caught in stage III or higher, survival rate can be as low as 29%.
What does this mean to you? Well, first, you need to know the symptoms and what to ask your doctor for if you are experiencing these symptoms. This information is listed on the right side of this blog. Please take a moment to share this information with every woman you know, and with the men too (they all have mothers that they could share it with!). We know so much about what to look for with breast cancer, and I am making it my goal that women also know what to look for with ovarian cancer! Spread the word!