When it comes to cancer, there are a few big ones that probably come to mind: breast cancer, skin cancer, cervical cancer. But there’s one cancer that many women don’t know about: ovarian cancer.
Ovarian cancer is the most deadly of all female reproductive cancers, a fact that President Obama acknowledged when he named September as Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in 2014. Each year, around 22,000 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer… and over 14,000 of them will die. When caught early, chances of survival are great — over 90%, in fact.
Unfortunately, most women don’t catch ovarian cancer early. The symptoms of ovarian cancer are vague and difficult to detect, and can also be easily mistaken for other, non-threatening things like PMS or even pregnancy: bloating, pelvic and abdominal pain, trouble eating, and having to urinate frequently. Other symptoms can be similarly vague, like fatigue and back pain. But if the symptoms are persistent or don’t resolve themselves with normal interventions, like getting more exercise or changing her diet, it is vital that a woman sees her doctor.
Because these symptoms are so easy to overlook, so much so that they’re called “silent,” most women aren’t diagnosed until cancer has already reached an advanced stage. When caught at Stage III or higher, the survival rate falls drastically to as low as 28%.
Jacksonville music teacher Laura Adkison survived ovarian cancer and was diagnosed at a young age. “When I went in to have a tumor removed at age 31, a very skilled surgeon performed surgery, but he was not a cancer doctor and never suspected cancer at my young age,” she said. “So he cut into the tumor, and cells leaked into my abdomen, which meant I needed chemo.” Fortunately, a surgical oncologist who specialized in ovarian cancer was in the next operating room, but the experience has stayed with her. “It’s important to have a cancer doctor perform any surgeries,” Adkison said. “Chances of survival are much better if a cancer doctor performs the initial surgery.”
Adkison also wants other women to be aware, and not to think it can’t happen to them because they’re young. “Ovarian cancer doesn’t just happen to older people,” she said. “Know your body and what’s normal for you. Find a really good gynecologist.” And while the odds may seem bleak, she insists that it’s important to stay positive. “The sad stories I found online were not helpful in my healing process. There are a lot of sad stories, but one can’t focus on those.”
With the help of those around her, Adkison beat ovarian cancer. “Having my support system was the best, mainly my parents,” she said. “Praying and knowing that people were praying for me. Finding an occasional story of a survivor.” I would encourage women with the diagnosis not to be discouraged by the statistics they will read. If they look hard enough, they will see that women do survive ovarian cancer,” she said.
For more information, visit the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition at www.ovarian.org, and join the fight against ovarian cancer.
