March is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. As part of the WI’s See the Signs campaign, they are encouraging you to join us in raising awareness of the subtle signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer to help ensure more women get a diagnosis at the earliest possible opportunity.
Over 300 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year in Wales. The earlier ovarian cancer is diagnosed the easier it is to treat. However, because the early signs of ovarian cancer can be similar to conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS), it is often not diagnosed until it has spread, and a cure is not possible.
The four main symptoms of ovarian cancer are:
- Persistent stomach pain
- Persistent bloating
- Difficulty eating/feeling full more quickly
- Needing to wee more frequently
Research by Target Ovarian Cancer this year has revealed that only 27% of women in Wales are able to name bloating as a symptom, 33% abdominal pain, 3% feeling full and just 2% urinary urgency.
How you can support the campaign
Share WI’s social media graphics (links below) on the signs to look out for using the hashtags #SeetheSigns and #OvarianCancerAwarenessMonth.
Alternatively share the following tweets:
- https://twitter.com/NFWIWales/status/1500776129547980805
- https://twitter.com/NFWIWales/status/1500774897592770562
For further information about the See the Signs campaign, please visit https://www.thewi.org.uk/campaigns/key-and-current-campaigns/see-the-signs
