Spreading the word.
Because ovarian cancer can either be symptomless or mimic other gastrointestinal issues, it can become deadly before a woman ever receives a diagnosis. “There’s no test or vaccine, nor is there enough awareness among medical professionals,” says Doug Barron, executive director of The Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance. “Our mission is to provide education about the risks, symptoms and treatment, and empower women to insist that their doctors look further when their symptoms persist.”
Barron became aware of ovarian cancer in 2001 when his mother-inlaw, Wendy Sharon, was diagnosed with Stage 3. “What keeps me at my desk after 15 years as executive director is her picture on my desk with the words, ‘If only we knew.’”
“One reason is that only 20,000 women are diagnosed annually compared to 300,000 with breast cancer, and three out of four won’t survive five years if they receive a late-stage diagnosis,” Barron says. “If diagnosed at Stage 1, there is a 90% survival rate.”
In November, COCA held its annual Teal to Heel fashion show at Lenox Square with survivors and caregivers serving as models. One of them was survivor Tammy Garrison. After years of suffering, a doctor ordered a CT scan then an MRI that revealed Stage 4. “Women have to listen to their bodies,” she says. “If I had not had an aggressive doctor who sent me for a CT scan, I wouldn’t be here today.”
GEORGIA OVARIAN CANCER ALLIANCE
gaovariancancer.org
@gaovariancancer
