Echo Woman
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Look out for a silent killer
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| Rosemary Petronis - is in remission from ovarian cancer |
IT HAS been dubbed the silent killer, but that won't be the case for much longer if Rosemary Petronis gets her way.
Since her own battle with ovarian cancer, Rosemary, 58, has dedicated much of her time to raising awareness of the disease, which is the fourth most common cancer for women in the UK.
Rosemary, of Castleton Road, Southend, was diagnosed with the condition in September 2005 after suffering a series of health complaints. She had no idea the problems she was having were at all cancer related and dismissed them.
"I had all the symptoms of ovarian cancer I just didn't realise," she says. "I had bladder weakness, which is a very obvious sign, I had weight loss, I felt very sick in the morning and I had lower back pain, but I just explained everything away.
"I'd had a hysterectomy the year before, so put the bladder weakness down to the fact I hadn't been doing my pelvic floor exercises, I thought I'd caught a bug which was why I felt sick and was losing weight and I'd always had a lower back problem anyway."
Rosemary put up with the problems for a few weeks, but as her stomach started to swell, she knew there was something more serious going on.
"I still didn't think it was ovarian cancer, but when my doctor examined me he said there was a mass in my pelvic area, and referred me straight to the hospital to have a blood test and ultrasound scan."
The hospital confirmed the doctor's suspicions and within two weeks Rosemary was being operated on to have the mass removed. This was then followed by six bouts of chemotherapy.
"I was very fortunate in that I was diagnosed quite quickly and the cancer was caught quite early," says Rosemary, who has been in remission for two years.
My GP picked it up immediately, but a lot of ladies aren't so lucky."
Because the symptoms are quite hard to spot, the survival rates for ovarian cancer are just 30 per cent, and have changed little over the past 20 years.
"A lot of women think that a cervical smear test can detect absolutely everything, but it doesn't," warns Rosemary, who now uses her own experiences to help raise awareness amongst other women.
That includes volunteering at Southend Hospital's gynaecology cancer clinic every Friday as well as involvement with the hospital's charity COPES, which helps support patients with gynaecological cancers.
"After I had my surgery I really wanted to speak to somebody who had been through the experience, but there wasn't anyone available," she says. "So I hope that I'm helping to bridge that gap."
"I'm just so desperate to make ladies aware of the disease I just want to help make ladies realise that there are symptoms, and if you've got any of them get it checked out," she says.
Rosemary's work has also caught the attention of James Duddridge, MP for Rochford and Southend. He recently met with Rosemary, who he described as an inspiration, and added his support to her attempts to raise awareness.
"When treated early, survival is 95 per cent, but often women are not diagnosed until the cancer has spread," says James. "I was shocked to realise that most of the symptoms for ovarian cancer are around the tummy area, rather than gynaecological, and that it often takes considerable time before women and their GPs realise something is seriously wrong."
"It does change you," says Rosemary, about battling cancer. "It makes you realise how fragile life is. I was fit and healthy, and you do take that for granted, when all of a sudden everything changes.
"None of us knows what's around the corner, I just hope it's good things," she smiles.
Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month is running throughout March.
Emma Azeem, a gynaecology oncology clinical nurse specialist at Southend Hospital. hopes women will use it as an opportunity to learn about the symptoms of this lesser known cancer.
"Ovarian cancer can feel like the poorer relation when it comes to women's health," says Emma. "A lot of work has been done to highlight breast cancer, but unfortunately gynaecological cancers aren't often discussed or highlighted."
This is the reason Emma's department were so keen to get involved in a research trial, which they hope will help to find ways to identify ovarian cancer sooner.
"The symptoms are all very vague symptoms, it's not like you can look out for a lump or any bleeding," says Emma. "So the key thing is for women to be aware of what these symptoms are, and if they have been persisting for a number of weeks they should ask their GP to carry out a pelvic examination," she says. "The earlier it is diagnosed the higher the survival rates are."
Recognise the key symptoms:
The key symptoms of ovarian cancer, which women should be aware of are:
* Difficulty eating / feeling full
* Tummy pain/pelvic pain
* Increase in urgency and frequency of passing water
* Bloating/increase in tummy size
If these occur more than 12 times a month, then a woman should ask their GP about ovarian cancer.
Other very frequent symptoms can include:
* Unexpected weight loss / unexpected weight gain
* Excessive tiredness
* Indigestion/nausea
* Abnormal vaginal bleeding
* Change in bowel habits
CONTACTS:
Ovarian Cancer Action:www.ovarian.org.uk
COPES: The hospital's support group for patients with gynaecological cancers, which meets monthly. 01702 435555 ext 6464.
4:49pm Monday 17th March 2008
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CommentPosted by: PLW, Pitsea on 10:44pm Tue 18 Mar 08
I have had Ovarian cancer twice once in 1994 aged 27 and again in 2001 I've had one overy and part of the bowel removed. I had no symptoms. I am still under the hospital and have to have tests every 3-6 months. [bold]All women[/bold] should be made aware of this disease as so many are not as lucky to have it diagnosed early. I have no children as my other overy is scarrred due to the removal of the tumor that was on the outside wall. But I'm still here and [italic]there are many mothers that are no longer with there families due to this cruel silent kiler[/italic]
I have had Ovarian cancer twice once in 1994 aged 27 and again in 2001 I've had one overy and part of the bowel removed. I had no symptoms. I am still under the hospital and have to have tests every 3-6 months.
All women should be made aware of this disease as so many are not as lucky to have it diagnosed early. I have no children as my other overy is scarrred due to the removal of the tumor that was on the outside wall. But I'm still here and
there are many mothers that are no longer with there families due to this cruel silent kiler
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