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New Survey Reveals Alarming Lack of Awareness and Discussion About Leading Women's Cancer Killer

Posted on: Tuesday, 23 May 2006, 16:55 CDT

BOCA RATON, Fla., May 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Only 15 percent of women are familiar with the symptoms of ovarian cancer, and 82 percent have never talked to their doctors about the symptoms and risk factors, according to a new national survey sponsored by the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC). Yet, more than 20,000 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year, and more than 15,000 will die from the disease, the most deadly of all women's reproductive cancers.

If caught in the early stages, the five-year survival rate for ovarian cancer is 90 percent, however 75 percent of women are still diagnosed in the advanced stages, when the prognosis is poor.(1) In response to these grim statistics and the alarming gap in knowledge and discussion surrounding the disease, NOCC is launching "Break the Silence," a national campaign to arm women with tools to begin a dialogue with their physicians and to facilitate earlier diagnosis.

"Ovarian cancer is taking far too many lives and deserves the national public attention and discourse that other deadly cancers such as breast and prostate cancer have achieved," said Jane Langridge, chief executive officer of NOCC. "Our goal is for 'Break the Silence' to jumpstart public dialogue and awareness to ultimately improve survival rates."

"Break the Silence" Education Resources

"Break the Silence" is a first-of-its-kind campaign that is enlisting nearly 80 local NOCC divisions across the country. To facilitate the understanding of signs and symptoms and to spur patient/physician discussion, NOCC has developed a downloadable "Conversation Starter" to help women effectively ask questions and to seek out information from their doctors.

Additionally, "Break the Silence" radio health programming will air on stations across the country, and public service announcements will run during Ovarian Cancer Awareness month in September. These resources, as well as information about ongoing research and how to find a local specialist, cancer center and/or local NOCC division, are available at http://www.ovarian.org/.

Ovarian Cancer Symptoms and Risk Factors

The symptoms of ovarian cancer are subtle and hard to pinpoint because they often mimic more prevalent digestive and gastrointestinal disorders. Common symptoms include persistent swelling, bloating, pressure or pain in the abdomen, gastrointestinal upset and/or frequent urination in the absence of an infection. Typically, two or more symptoms occur simultaneously and increase in severity over time.

"Women experiencing at least two to three common ovarian cancer symptoms clustered together that persist for two or more weeks should visit a gynecologist and ask for a rectovaginal exam, transvaginal ultrasound and CA-125 blood test," said Judith Wolf, M.D., a gynecologic oncologist and associate professor at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. "Because a family history of breast, colon and/or ovarian cancer increases the risk of the disease, women should monitor for symptoms and consider visiting a gynecologic oncologist for regular screenings."

Low Awareness AND Misperceptions

NOCC sponsored the "Break the Silence" survey to accurately measure and evaluate the lack of awareness and knowledge among women in order to develop an educational campaign that specifically addresses these disparities.

Key survey findings include: * 54 percent of women who have not spoken to their doctors about ovarian cancer do not think it's an issue because the doctor never initiated the discussion. * 59 percent of women have talked to their doctor about breast cancer, compared to only 18 percent of women who have talked to their doctor about ovarian cancer. * 40 percent of women are not sure of the risk factors, and many incorrectly identified the use of high dose estrogen without progesterone (35 percent) and extended use of the birth control pill (27 percent) as risk factors. o Women who have used oral contraceptives for three or more years have about a 30-50 percent lower risk of developing ovarian cancer.(2) * 67 percent of women incorrectly believe that a yearly Pap test is effective in the diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

The online survey was conducted by Impulse Research Corporation in March and April 2006 with a random sample of 1,003 women age 40 and over, representing a cross-section of U.S. women in that age group. The overall sampling error for this survey is +/- 3% at 95 percent level of confidence.

About NOCC

Since its inception in 1995, the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC) has been committed to raising awareness of ovarian cancer in communities across the country and to providing education and support for women with ovarian cancer and their families. For more information on the "Break the Silence" campaign and to contact one of the local NOCC local divisions, visit http://www.ovarian.org/ or call 1-888-OVARIAN.

The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition is a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization that provides help and hope about ovarian cancer with public education and awareness, state divisions, a toll-free Help Line, comprehensive web site, peer support, publications and special projects. The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition's mission is to raise awareness and promote education about ovarian cancer. The Coalition is committed to improving the survival rate and quality of life for women with ovarian cancer. For more information on the "Break the Silence" campaign and to contact one of the local NOCC local divisions, visit http://www.ovarian.org/ or call 1-888-OVARIAN.

(1) "How is Ovarian Cancer Found?" American Cancer Society Online; 11/29/05 http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_2_3X_How_is_ovarian_cancer_fou nd_33.asp?rnav=cri

(2) "Can Ovarian Cancer Be Prevented?" American Cancer Society Online; 11/9/05 http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_2X_Can_ovarian_cancer_be_pre vented_33.asp?sitearea

National Ovarian Cancer Coalition

CONTACT: Tracy Naden for National Ovarian Cancer Coalition,+1-212-301-7206, or tnaden@weisscommpartners.com

Web site: http://www.ovarian.org/

Source: PRNewswire

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