September is Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month. During the month, charities raise awareness of gynaecological cancers, which includes: ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, uterine cancer, vaginal cancer and vulvar cancer.
Ovarian cancer is the UK's deadliest gynaecological disease, taking the lives of more women per year than all the other gynae cancers combined.
The current ovarian cancer survival rate is lower than breast cancer in the 1970s. It's a disease that's often overlooked, misunderstood or misdiagnosed. This is why we need to level up.
Get involved this Gynae Cancer Awareness Month:
Many women will already know the disparity in women's health. Sadly, ovarian cancer is a prime example of this inequality.
When a woman is diagnosed with ovarian cancer, the odds are stacked against her. Recurrence is high and survival rates are poor. No woman deserves to live in fear of either. But why is this the case?
As well as being an incredibly complex cancer, ovarian cancer has been under-funded and under-researched. There's a gap in scientific knowledge as well as general awareness, which means many women aren't getting diagnosed early enough. This needs to change. We need to level up and close the gap - the gynae gap.
Early detection saves lives. But only 1 out of the 5 gynae cancers has a screening option. We need to replicate the success of cervical screening which has halved the number of cervical cancer cases since its introduction. Our scientists want to develop a screening option that will detect pre-cancerous cells that can be treated before they develop into ovarian cancer.
Until we have a screening – awareness is key and knowledge is power. We're asking our community to spread the word that smear tests do not detect ovarian cancer. We want all women to be equipped with the knowledge that could ultimately save their life. Early detection saves lives.
Early in 2007 I asked for an extra smear test. Because of my breast cancer history I was worried that my symptoms were cancer-related. I incorrectly assumed that a cervical smear would discover all gynaecological cancers. I now know that a cervical smear only looks for cervical cancer.
Through sharing knowledge, creating breakthroughs in diagnosis and treatment, as well as funding for ovarian cancer research - we can level up and give every body an equal chance to survive cancer.
We want you to be empowered with the right information about gynae cancers. Do you know the gynae cancer myths from the facts? Take our quiz and find out if you're a myth busting champion.
Professor Ahmed Ahmed and his team are working to develop the world’s first ovarian cancer screening tool.
Any donation, big or small, goes a long way to help us in our mission. Find out about different ways to donate here, including giving in memory and leaving a legacy.