New Delhi/Gurgaon: Ritu Bedi was diagnosed with ovarian
cancer last year after experiencing abdominal pain and urinary problems for
months. It was a blow from nowhere. Her family, and even the doctors treating
her, had thought she might have been suffering from irritable bowel syndrome
(IBS) or issues related to pre-menopause.
“The cancer was already in an advanced stage by the time it
could be diagnosed. It took a major surgery and six months of chemotherapy at a
New York hospital for me to get a new life. But not everyone is lucky,” says
the 48-year old IT professional.
To spread awareness about ovarian cancer and its symptoms, Bedi has now started a
unique ‘India Teal Warriors’ campaign on social media. September, she says, is
ovarian cancer awareness month and teal is the awareness colour. “Teal is
associated with ovarian cancer much like pink is associated with breast
cancer,” said Bedi.
Her campaign on social media has become a rage with hundreds
of people, many of them from Gurgaon, joining the Facebook page and posting
messages in support. Many corporate houses, individuals and NGOs are lending
their support by using the teal theme on company websites and social media.
While a student of ITM University, Shreya, has painted her nails teal, a corporate
employee, Kala has bought a teal T-shirt to participate in a ‘teal party’. “It
is important even for young girls to know about the disease, as we can educate
our mothers and grandmothers,” said Shreya.
A resident of Sector 56 in Gurgaon, Kala, on the other hand,
also wants her male colleagues to join the campaign. “It is not only women who
need to be educated about the disease, men, who are generally the
decision-makers in a household, should also know about the disease,” she said.
The campaign is being supported by CanSupport NGO, which is
encouraging women to get check-ups done. “The idea is to get women to pay
attention to symptoms and get checked-up. Also, in our country people do not
share information about diseases in family. We need to tell people that it is
important to take preventive measures,” said Nikita Gupta, who is supporting
the campaign too.
Awareness crucial to surviving ovarian cancer
Not many people take time to learn about ovarian cancer –
until it hits close to home.
With each passing year, 15,500 women die from this disease.
Although there is no specific test to detect ovarian cancer, it is the ninth
most commonly diagnosed cancer in women. Typically thought of as a “silent”
disease, ovarian cancer is actually noisy. We just tune it out.
Early signs and symptoms are
vague, but a recent research study pinpointed a cluster of symptoms that occur
more frequently in women with ovarian tumors, especially if they appear
suddenly or last over an extended period of time. This triad consists of
abdominal bloating, increased abdominal size, and urinary urgency. In the study
these symptoms were reported almost daily in the women with ovarian cancer.
Other research validates the notion of the early triad. Identifying this
symptom index justifies ordering tests to evaluate them and legitimizes the
expense of these tests to insurance companies.
Other changes to report include feeling full after a small
meal, unexplained weight loss, indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, fatigue,
and abdominal uterine bleeding. Ovarian cancer should be ruled out first
instead of last and, if suspected, should be evaluated by a gynecologic
oncologist.
A test to accurately detect early stage disease has yet to
be perfected.
While scientists continue to pursue a variety of screening
tests, mostly based on specific protein patterns and markers in the blood,
doctors are forced to rely on a transvaginal ultrasound and CA-125 blood test.
Only half of women with early stage disease, however, have
elevated levels of CA-125, signaling why a more specific and accurate screening
test is vital. Further compounding early diagnosis, by the time a woman
recognizes her symptoms, the cancer often is advanced.
Indicators that increase the risk of this disease include
personal history of breast cancer, family history (maternal and paternal) of
breast, uterine, ovarian or colorectal cancer, certain breast cancer genes,
obesity, and use of fertility drugs, especially without achieving pregnancy.
Factors that decrease risk include oral contraceptive use,
particularly of five or more years, childbearing, breast-feeding and tubal
ligation after childbearing.
A few large studies have found that regular tea consumption
is associated with a lower risk of ovarian cancer. Green, black and oolong teas
were all effective.
Also, preliminary studies show that women who take low-dose
aspirin daily reduced their risk by 20 percent. Researchers caution that more
studies are needed before implementing daily aspirin therapy, so be sure to
discuss this with your doctor.
Further guard your health by obtaining annual pelvic exams,
knowing your family history and sharing it with your doctor, and becoming
familiar with what is normal for your body. If you note the triad of symptoms
frequently throughout the month, specifically request a transvaginal ultrasound
and a biomarker blood test.
High risk women should discuss with their doctors the
advantages and disadvantages of genetic counseling to gauge their risk of
developing ovarian and breast cancer.
This is of particular importance
for women with a personal or family history of these diseases, as well as
having relatives with male breast or prostate cancers, because variations of
specific genes have been identified in the development of some types of ovarian
cancer.
Awareness events
conducted around the world
I-35W bridge lit teal
for ovarian cancer awareness
Those who took a drive on Sunday night may have noticed the
Interstate 35W Bridge has adopted a new hue – and there’s a reason for it.
The Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance (MOCA) lit the bridge
in teal on Sunday night to mark the start of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month to
raise awareness of the disease. September marks the month long awareness
campaign, which includes the group’s 15th annual walk and run at Roseland
Park in Edina on Saturday.
An estimated 3,500 supporters are expected to take part on
the HOM Teal Strides for Ovarian Cancer. The event raises money for research
and programming. So far, MOCA has provided $ 4.5 million toward research.
Upcoming 5k to raise
awareness for ovarian cancer research
Louisville, Ky. – September is national cancer month, and a
local organization is hosting an event for ovarian cancer awareness with a 5k
walk.
The Whisper Walk 5k for ovarian cancer awareness will be
held on Saturday, Sept. 13.
The walk will be held at the Douglass Hillpool parking lot
at 501 Gatehouse Lane.
The walk is in memory of Dee Edwards. For every $ 100
raised, adults will be entered into a drawing for a $ 100 Kroger gift card.
Students under 18 will be entered into a drawing to win $ 50 cash.
There is also an event at El Toro Mexican Restaurant on
Thursday. For the whole day, 15 percent of customers’ total bill will be
donated back to Ovarian Awareness of Kentucky in memory of Dee Edwards and in honor
of all those survivors still fighting.
Birmingham to ‘Turn
the Town Teal’ in support of ovarian cancer research
Teal ribbons are going up around Shain Park in September as
part of Ovarian Cancer Awareness month.
Jacqueline Bayley never saw it coming.
In 2009, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She was 31
years old and in good health when she decided to see her doctor about a
lingering stomach ache. Less than three years later, she passed away.
“She was blindsided by her diagnosis,” friend Eleanore
Schroeder said. “But that’s the tricky part of ovarian cancer – a lot of
patients are diagnosed too late because the symptoms are vague and easily
confused with less serious symptoms that women commonly have.”
For the next several weeks, Schroeder and other organizers
will “Turn The Town Teal” (TTTT) by tying teal ribbons around Shain Park in an
effort to bring awareness to this disease.
“Teal is the ovarian cancer research color” she said, adding
the ribbons will have information on them about recognizing the early warning
symptoms.
It’s the third year of the TTTT campaign, which is taking
place in Royal Oak, Northville and other local communities throughout Michigan.
Baldwin Public Library Board Trustee Andy Harris also was a
close friend to Bayley and is helping with the campaign.
“She was one of the most energetic, dynamic, intelligent
people I ever knew,” said Harris, who met Bayley and her husband through
Schroeder in 2003. “She had a vibrant spirit that we miss to this day.”
In addition to the promotional campaign, Schroeder
established the Jacqueline E. Bayley foundation (www.jeb-foundation.org) to raise
awareness about ovarian cancer. The foundation recently partnered with the
Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in developing more effective ovarian
cancer screening and earlier detection methods.
“She was one of the spirited and talented people I ever
met,” said Schroeder. “We miss her terribly.”
Cheerleaders,
community members don ribbons to raise awareness for Ovarian cancer
West Windsor – Members of a Pop Warner Cheerleading team as
well as community members and students gathered on Thursday.
Among those who donated teal ribbons for Ovarian Cancer
Awareness Month was 13-year-old West Windsor resident and cheerleader Alyssa
Wagner, who battled cancer the year before.
Wagner, also a Grover Middle School student, has been cancer
free for a year.
The ribbons would later be tied to trees at West
Windsor-Plainsboro High School South on Sunday.
Support Connection
Hosts Educational Webinar For Women With Ovarian Cancer
YorktownHeights, N.Y. – Support Connection Inc. will host a
free educational webinar for women with ovarian cancer.
It will take place on Tuesday, September 23, from 8 p.m. to
9 p.m.
This free program is available to women nationwide. For
those without computer access, it is also possible to participate via toll-free
teleconference. The program is being held in September in recognition of
National Ovarian Cancer Awareness month.
The speaker is Dr. David Spriggs, of Memorial Sloan
Kettering Cancer Center. Spriggs is head of the division of solid tumor
oncology and Wintthrop Rockfeller chair of medical oncology.
The webinar will focus on issues pertaining to women with
ovarian cancer, including those experiencing a recurrence. Topics will include:
the latest information in the development of drugs for advanced ovarian cancer;
advances in immune therapy. A question and answer period will follow.
Discussion will be facilitated by a Support Connection staff member.
The program is free. Women interested in participating
should call Support Connection in advance to register and receive instructions,
call Support Connection at 914-962-6402 or 1-800-532-4290.
This program is presented by Support Connection as part of
their 2014 “Tune In and Take Charge!” campaign.
In addition to the daily care of women with gynecologic
cancers, Spriggs runs clinical trials testing new, targeted drugs, and oversees
a small research laboratory looking for answers to questions such as why
certain tumors resist drug treatment and how genes can affect the development
of tumors.
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| Image source |
Awareness, early
detection, and prompt treatment are the keys to surviving ovarian cancer – and
that requires funding.
As researchers across the globe race to develop a
sensitive screening tool for ovarian cancer, you can facilitate their efforts
by donating to a research group, such as the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition
or the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.
I encourage you to share this article with the women in your
life – it just might save theirs.
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