Letter to the Editor
Aug. 25, 2010
Doctors turn up the volume on the disease that whispers
Dear editor:
September is Ovarian Cancer Month and doctors in the province encourage all Nova Scotian
women to become educated about the disease. In Canada, more than 2,600 women are diagnosed
and 1,750 women die from this disease each year.
Symptoms of ovarian cancer are generally non-specific and can be mistakenly attributed to
other causes. It is important for women to pay close attention to their bodies so they can
identify when something is out of the ordinary.
Common symptoms of ovarian cancer include swelling or bloating of the abdomen, pelvic
discomfort or heaviness, back or abdominal pain, fatigue, gas, nausea, indigestion, change
in bowel habits, emptying your bladder frequently, menstrual irregularities and weight loss
or weight gain.
Currently screening tests cannot detect ovarian cancer, but when discovered in its early
stages – and treated – ovarian cancer survival rate can be as high as 90 per cent.
A Pap smear does not detect ovarian cancer and the HPV vaccine helps prevent cervical
cancer but not ovarian cancer. Developing effective screening techniques is an area of
continued medical research.
Doctors in Nova Scotia encourage women in the province to learn about ovarian cancer and
the symptoms attributed to it. Since there is no effective screening test for ovarian
cancer at this time, doctors recommend that women be attentive to their bodies and be aware
of the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer.
For more information about ovarian cancer, visit www.ovariancanada.org or call
1-866-825-0788.
Sincerely,
Jane Brooks, MD, PhD, CCFP
President