World Ovarian Cancer Day.
8th May of every year is observed as World Ovarian Cancer Day and it is dedicated to spreading awareness about Ovarian Cancer. Now one may ask, why is it important to spread awareness about Ovarian Cancer? Well, with one woman dying every two hours of ovarian cancer, it’s time to let the world know the size of this issue. Almost a fourth of a million women around the world are diagnosed with some of the other types of Ovarian Cancer every year. It is one of the most common cancers in India as 8% in every 100,000 women are diagnosed with it annually. Yet, according to the ‘World Ovarian Cancer Coalition’s ‘Every Woman Study’ (2018)’, over two-thirds of women who had ovarian cancer had not heard of it, or knew anything about it, prior to their diagnosis. This leads to up to 4 out of 5 women being diagnosed once cancer has progressed further and the rate of survival has decreased. This is the reason that today that we’ll talk about the symptoms of Ovarian Cancer.
Ovarian Cancer is known as ‘the silent killer’ that is because despite being the most common female cancer, the symptoms of ovarian cancer are often confused with symptoms of other less serious illnesses. But you should pay more attention to some of these common symptoms of
Ovarian Cancer, which are:
1. Bloating.
2. Pain in your pelvis or belly.
3. Trouble eating or quickly feeling that you’re full.
4. An urgency to pee or having to pee very often (frequency)
Many diseases other than ovarian cancer can cause these symptoms. Think about whether they’re unusual for you and whether they’re happening more often or seem to be getting worse with time.
Other Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer are:
1. Tiredness or constant fatigue.
2. Back pain.
3. Constipation.
4. Swollen belly.
5. Upset Stomach or Heartburn.
6. Unusual vaginal discharge or bleeding, especially after menopause.
7. Unexplained weight changes – unusual weight gain or loss.
Even though these are the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer, chances are that they may be symptoms of a less serious illness. But you can never be too sure of it, hence if you or someone you know is suffering from these symptoms, get in contact with your nearest doctor and get yourself checked to be safe from the Big C! One other responsibility that you hold is to spread awareness about Ovarian Cancer and its silent symptoms by sharing it with your friends and family!
