September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and while we need to be mindful of our ovaries ALL the time, national focus comes this month.

Since I don’t have my ovaries anymore and since I could have been an Ovarian Cancer statistic if the tumors on my ovaries had not grown large and caused substantial pain, Ovarian Cancer Awareness is something very close to my heart.  Twelve years ago now, I had a hysterectomy.  If I did not have pain severe enough to cause me to go to the ER, I would never have known about the tumors until the cancer had possibly spread into my abdomen.  Looking back, the only symptom I had was a slightly irregular period about 2 weeks prior to the pain.  And who hasn’t experienced that??

Ovarian Cancer is called the Silent Killer because there are no apparent symptoms or they are vague and dismissed by patients AND doctors; there is no routine screening (even if you have insurance); and by the time it is detected, it can be extremely advanced (Stage 3 or 4).

Ovarian Cancer takes the life of 2 out of every 3 women that are diagnosed with it.

In 2012, the American Cancer Society estimates:

• About 22,280 women will receive a new diagnosis of ovarian cancer.
• About 15,500 women will die from ovarian cancer.

If ovarian cancer is caught early (Stage I) and while the cancer is confined to the ovary, there is a 94% survival rate!
Here’s the kicker:  More than 70% women are not diagnosed until they have progressed to Stage III or IV, meaning that up to 45% of those women will only live for another five years.

We must be our own advocates and each other’s advocates in the fight against this silent killer.

Ovarian cancer may cause several signs and symptoms. Women are more likely to have symptoms if the disease has spread beyond the ovaries, but even early stage ovarian cancer can cause them. The most common symptoms include:

• Bloating
• Pelvic or abdominal pain
• Trouble eating or feeling full quickly
• Urinary symptoms such as urgency (always feeling like you have to go) or frequency (having to go often)

These symptoms are also commonly caused by benign (non-cancerous) diseases and by cancers of other organs. When they are caused by ovarian cancer, they tend to be persistent and represent a change from normal — for example, they occur more often or are more severe. If a woman has these symptoms almost daily for more than a few weeks, she should see her doctor, preferably a gynecologist.

Others symptoms of ovarian cancer can include:

• Fatigue
• Upset stomach
• Back pain
• Pain during sex
• Constipation
• Menstrual changes

However, these symptoms are more likely to be caused by other conditions, and they occur just about as often in women who don’t have ovarian cancer- still – better safe than sorry, see your doctor.

How can you help?  By talking to your mother, sister, family members, friends and spreading the word about ovarian cancer symptoms.

 Get involved with the fight against Ovarian Cancer  - it could be life or death.

 Find an Upcoming Walk or Run near You

Follow the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition on Facebook

More Information on Ovarian Cancer and How it is Diagnosed

I love the TEAL TOES Campaign & I am going to get mine done this week!

Ovarian Cancer Risk Factors
Do you have any good links or other organizations that spread the word about Ovarian Cancer? 

Please share them below in the comments below!