The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC) is hosting its annual Together in Teal — No Boundaries fundraiser as a nationwide virtual celebration on Sept. 26, it announced in a press release.
Presented during National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, the event raises money to support early disease awareness, quality of life for survivors, scientific research, and community outreach.
In past years, participants in the organization’s signature run/walk event would join a team in chapter communities. This year, due restrictions caused by COVID-19, supporters are asked to secure financial pledges from friends and associates, and run or walk by themselves or with others in their neighborhoods.
Later that day, the ovarian cancer community is invited to join the NOCC’s first National Broadcast Celebration, which begins at 7 p.m. ET. A broadcast link will be emailed to Together in Teal registrants, Suzanne Bash of the NOCC told Ovarian Cancer News Today. You can register here.
“This event will highlight the most inspiring and remarkable stories being told every day in communities across the nation,” the press release states. “Many do not know that ovarian cancer is one of the deadliest of all gynecological cancers.”
In the United States, more than 22,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year. More than 14,000 will die, mostly because the disease’s signs and symptoms are vague or silent, and there’s no simple or reliable screening test. Consequently, only about 15% of women are diagnosed during the disease’s early stages, when the survival rate is highest.
Because the key to earlier diagnoses is awareness of signs and symptoms, the NOCC listed them in its announcement. They include bloating; difficulty eating, or a premature feeling of fullness; pelvic or abdominal pain; nausea, indigestion, gas, constipation, or diarrhea; extreme fatigue; shortness of breath; backaches; unexplained changes in bowel habits; unexplained weight gain/loss and menstrual changes; and pain during sexual intercourse.
Risk factors for ovarian cancer include genetic predisposition, a personal or family history of breast, ovarian, or colon cancer, increasing age, hormone replacement therapy, and reproductive history and infertility.
The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition works to raise awareness, promote education, and support research. For more information, visit ovarian.org or call 888-682-7426. Follow the NOCC on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.