September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
By PAMELA BRUST, pbrust@newsandsentinel.comPARKERSBURG - Each year in West Virginia approximately 166 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and in 2006, 107 women in this state died from the disease.
September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and local activities are scheduled to help women learn more about this disease. Washington resident Bettie Lucas, who serves as president of the West Virginia Family and Community Education organization is an ovarian cancer survivor. She was diagnosed in 2002 at the age of 53.
"Something just didn't seem quite right," Lucas said. After experiencing unusual bleeding, she went to her physician. She had laparoscopy surgery to take a look at one ovary and the cancer was discovered and a complete hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo oophorectomy, omentectomy, and lymphadenectomy was performed. This was followed by six rounds of chemotherapy.
"I was lucky," Lucas said, "My cancer was discovered early at stage 1. If I had not listened to what my body was telling me, which was something is wrong here, it might have been found too late. I believe every woman should know what the symptoms of ovarian cancer are and also what the risk factors are," Lucas said.
A woman's risk for developing ovarian cancer increases with age, with approximately two-thirds of ovarian cancers occurring in women 55 year and older.
"Early detection is the key to surviving ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancers that are detected at stage I, the earliest stage, have a higher survival rate," Lucas said, noting many times there may be few if any warning symptoms. "It's so important to listen to your body and be aware of changes that aren't normal for you."
The FCE has received a grant in conjunction with the Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Program, which provides screenings for low-income women who are uninsured or underinsured and these tests include pelvic screenings.
As part of the national observance of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, the FCE group will participate in a women's health fair scheduled Oct. 4, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. Joseph's Hospital by providing informational literature.
Lucas is available to speak to interested groups or organizations about ovarian cancer.
Dr. Karen Orloff Kaplan, a nationally recognized health advocate, administrator, policy expert and researcher was appointed earlier this year as executive director of the alliance.
"There is no effective screening test for ovarian cancer. We must make sure every woman at risk for ovarian cancer knows its symptoms and every one of their doctors knows how to respond quickly to those symptoms," Kaplan said.
For more information on the Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Program, call 422-1515. To contact Lucas about speaking to your group, call her at (304) 863-8734. The national alliance has a Web site at www.ovariancancer.org, and the American Cancer Web site also contains information on ovarian cancer, that web address is www.cancer.org.
