Ovarian cancer symptoms

The siblings behind Australian designer label CAMILLA AND MARC tell BAZAAR about their latest 'OVARIES. TALK ABOUT THEM' campaign.

Our team is working hard to ensure our test is highly specific and highly sensitive and will equitably be accessible to all individuals at risk of developing ovarian cancer. Knowledge gained from our research into the specific genetic marks associated with ovarian cancer for an early detection test are also being used to develop new treatments and drive new clinical trials. Research is the absolute key to changing the outcome for all women with ovarian cancer! PCF: Any individual with ovaries is at potential risk of developing ovarian cancer, but it is important to remember that it remains a rare disease, and that the average age of diagnosis is mid-60s. To date, the campaign has raised $544,000 for the UNSW Ovarian Cancer Research Group and the work of Associate Professor Caroline Ford, who is working to create a lifesaving early detection test. Those with a strong family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer are at an increased risk and should seek appropriate medical advice. The five-year survival rate (meaning what proportion of women remain alive five years after their diagnosis) for Australian women with ovarian cancer is 46 per cent, far lower than many other cancers with higher public awareness, over three quarters of women are diagnosed at stage III or stage IV (cancer is staged from I to IV depending on the extent of the disease) which means the cancer has spread to multiple sites throughout the body. PCF: Generally, most women with ovarian cancer will undergo a major surgery (usually removal of the uterus, both ovaries and fallopian tubes), followed by chemotherapy and or radiotherapy. Professor Caroline Ford: There is currently no early detection test for ovarian cancer, and a diagnosis can only be definitively made at surgery. Unfortunately, this disease is so fatal that there truly aren’t many women who survive and can advocate for future generations and to make lasting change. 28 YEARS AGO, Camilla Freeman-Topper and Marc Freeman — of the eponymous fashion label — lost their mother, Pam, to ovarian cancer. It was a loss made all the more painful by its casual cruelty — ovarian cancer attacks “a very sacred part of a woman’s body,” Freeman-Topper says, therefore facing incredible stigma and taboo.

Four in five women in Ireland are not confident of spotting a symptom of ovarian cancer although Ireland has one if the highest death rates from the disease ...

And a lot of women think ovarian cancer only affects older women. Dr Sharon O’Toole, senior research fellow in Trinity College Dublin and Coordinator of the World Ovarian Cancer Day said: “The symptoms of ovarian cancer can often be confused with irritable bowel syndrome, and we need to get the BEAT message out there so women know that if they experience any of the symptoms for three weeks or more, they should contact their GP.” Four in five women in Ireland are not confident of spotting a symptom of ovarian cancer although Ireland has one if the highest death rates from the disease in Europe.