REGINA – For Anne Chase there’s only one word to describe the process of dealing with ovarian cancer; frustrating.
Anne is a survivor, and runs a support group in Regina. Over 30 survivors and their families meet once a month for dinner. This month the group has lost two members; a ratio they don’t normally see.
She says too many women are being diagnosed at a late stage because there’s no screening test for ovarian cancer.
“Ninety per cent probably are stage three or stage four by the time they’re diagnosed,” said Chase.
Eighteen years ago Anne got her own bad news, but considers herself lucky to have been diagnosed in stage one.
“I had just got up one morning and had a pain in my side, and I just figured that because I had done a bunch of yard work the day before that I had pulled something.”
Kelly Grover is the vice president of national programs and partners for Ovarian Cancer Canada (OCC). She says the problem is that many symptoms are masked as menstrual pain or simple body aches
“Bloating, feeling full, abdominal distension, frequent urination, and if you think of that, many women have that in a course of a month,” Grover said.
OCC says with a late diagnosis only 30 per cent of patients will live past five years. For women with a genetic family history, ovaries and fallopian tubes can be removed as a precaution, but that comes with risks of its own.
Women are advised to listen carefully to their body. Grover says if you continuously feel these symptoms over a course of three weeks you should see your doctor.
However, she clarified you do need to be specific when at the doctor. Ovarian cancer is sometimes misdiagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome and it is okay to get a second opinion.
Wendy Sutherland’s best friend wasn’t diagnosed until she was stage three and lost her life to the disease after a three year fight. Now Wendy has made it her mission to help as many women as possible get ahead of it.
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