Canadian Facts about Ovarian Cancer
- Every year 2,500 women will be diagnosed in Canada with Ovarian Cancer.
- Each year 1,500 women die from ovarian cancer.
- Ovarian cancer is a serious disease with no early detection test. Most women are unfortunately diagnosed in the later stages of the disease and 60% of them will not survive past four years.
- Even though the statistics surrounding the disease are bleak, the good news is that when it is diagnosed in the earliest stages, the long-term survival rate is 90%. Education and awareness are the best tools we have for improving survival by alerting women to the signs and symptoms of the disease.
Symptoms:
- Vague but persistent gas, nausea, indigestion, constipation, or diarrhea
- Abdominal bloating, feeling of fullness, or pain
- Frequent or urgent urination
- Menstrual disorders, pain during intercourse
- Fatique, backaches
- Weight gain or loss
- Abdominal distention
Some of the risk factors linked to Ovarian Cancer include:
- Personal or family history of breast, ovarian, endometrial, prostate, or colon cancer.
- Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer or syndrome.
- Increasing age
- Unexplained infertility, no pregnancies, and no history of birth control pill usage
- Use of high-dose estrogen for long periods without progesterone may be a risk factor
- North American or Northern European heritage and / or Ashkenazi Jewish population
- Living in an industrialized country.
TAKE ACTION if any symptom lasts more than 2 weeks!
Screening for ovarian cancer includes a combination pelvic/rectal exam, a CA-125 blood test, and a transvaginal sonogram.
Pap smears DO NOT detect ovarian cancer!