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!