[2024-09-01] Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month 2024

For the fifth time, I am marking the start of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Before my diagnosis in July 2020, I knew little about the disease. I didn't know anyone who had had ovarian cancer, even though one of my first cousins was—at that very moment—losing her struggle with the illness. She would succumb to ovarian cancer just four days after my own diagnosis.

Ovarian cancer is sometimes called the whispering cancer because there is no effective screening for the disease, no readily detectable early symptoms and limited public awareness of the illness. In an article on the Cedars-Sinai blog, Dr. Kenneth Kim, director of Gynecologic Oncology at the institution, noted that "Compared to breast cancer, ovarian cancer is 10 times less common.... Everyone knows someone who had breast cancer, and because of that, the awareness is much higher."

That's why I share my story and have continued to do so for four years—to increase awareness of ovarian cancer. Its symptoms are often indistinguishable from those of other less serious conditions and are therefore easily overlooked:
  • Bloating or swelling of the abdomen (sometimes combined with weight loss)
  • Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, loss of appetite, heartburn, gas, indigestion or nausea
  • Pain or a feeling of pressure in the pelvis or abdomen
  • Increased urgency or frequency of urination
  • Bleeding from the vagina that isn’t normal (such as heavy or irregular bleeding, bleeding between periods), especially after menopause
  • Frequent discharge from the vagina that is clear, white or coloured with blood
  • A lump that can be felt in the pelvis or abdomen
  • Changes in bowel movements, such as constipation or diarrhea
  • Back pain
  • Fatigue
  • Unexplained weight loss or weight gain
  • Pain during intercourse
  • Buildup of fluid in the abdomen, around the lungs or in the legs
  • Difficulty breathing
Granted, this is a long list to remember. A shorter list—using the acronym BEAT—is provided by the United Kingdom's ovarian cancer charity, Ovacome:
  1. B is for BLOATING that doesn't come and go.
  2. E is for EATING difficulty and feeling full more quickly.
  3. A is for ABDOMINAL and pelvic pain you feel most days.
  4. T is for TOILET changes in urination or bowel habits.

When I walk in Ovarian Cancer Canada's Walk of Hope on September 8, I will remember my cousin and others who have left us far too soon as a result of this disease. But I will also walk with hope—hope that research will one day reduce to zero the numbers of deaths due to ovarian cancer, which is the mission of Ovarian Cancer Canada. Until September 8 at 11:59 ET, all donations to the Walk of Hope—including those made via my fundraising page—will be matched, up to $20,000, thanks to the generosity of Karen Greve Young, Chair of Ovarian Cancer Canada's Board of Directors.

On September 8, I will be wearing this year's Walk of Hope T-shirt as a Teal Sister and in honour of other Teal Sisters.