[ad_1]
Experts warned against a "painful" misunderstanding of ovarian cancer symptoms after a study revealed that two-thirds of women had never heard of the disease before their diagnostic.
Research conducted by the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition has shown that two-thirds of women diagnosed with the disease did not know it before.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the symptoms of the disease include abnormal bleeding and vaginal discharge, especially in postmenopausal women; pain in the back, abdominal and pelvic area; as well as feeling bloated and full soon after eating. Peeing more often or feeling constipated may also be related to ovarian cancer.
Each year, approximately 239,000 women worldwide are diagnosed with ovarian cancer and less than half will live another five years. According to a conservative estimate from the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition, one in six (40,000) women will die three months after being alerted to the disease.
What's more, rates of this disease are expected to reach 55% by 2035, as efforts to combat mortality rates have been slow compared to other cancers, the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition pointed out. Investigating attitudes toward ovarian cancer in patients could help to overcome this problem.
Read more: What are the causes of PCOS? Scientists finally found an answer
Annwen Jones, co-chair of The Every Woman Study and CEO of this UK-based charity, commented, "This study, for the first time, provides compelling evidence of the challenges facing women with cancer of the United States. Ovary in the world agenda for global change ".
"We were particularly shocked by the widespread and deplorable lack of awareness of ovarian cancer, and it is vital that urgent action be taken in all countries to raise public awareness of the disease and speed up the diagnosis so that we can transform the perspectives of the growing number of people affected. " women and their families affected by ovarian cancer in the world ".
Some 37 health professionals from 15 countries and partner organizations of the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition were interviewed as part of the study to paint a picture of attitudes and practices. Existing research on the disease has also been taken into account for the study. The resulting information was used to create the Every Woman Study online survey, which was conducted by 1,531 women in 44 countries and conducted between March and May 2018.
Researchers have discovered "a devastating litany of challenges" faced by women with the disease and those who care for it. The survey found that women with ovarian cancer and those who cared for it were too unaware of the symptoms and encountered barriers in the diagnosis. The report highlighted other problems, including a disparity between people with a family history and tests to screen for the disease earlier, which could help improve survival rates. In addition, treatment and support received by women were lacking.
The organization warned that no country was able to fight the disease effectively.
In the United States, for example, women waited on average more than three months before seeing a doctor to check their symptoms. However, they were also the most likely to undergo genetic testing.
In the United States, ovarian cancer accounts for about 3% of cases, but kills more women than any other form affecting the reproductive system. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 20,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
[ad_2]
Source link
