Group seeks to raise awareness of ovarian cancer

Equal opportunity applies to jobs, but it applies to cancer, too -- ovarian cancer, to be specific.

"Any woman, any age, that's who's at risk," said Crispin Morrison, who knows about the disease first hand.

Morrison is the founder of Ovarian Cancer Alliance of Nevada, also called OCAN.

About two years ago she was feeling bloated, fatigued, urinated frequently and noticed a change in her menstrual cycle. She said she thought it might be early menopause even though she was only 37. Besides, her doctor couldn't find anything wrong. Then one day Morrison found a lump in her lower abdomen.

"It felt just like an egg," she said, then gave a little smile. "It makes sense, doesn't it? An egg. On an ovary."

Actually, the tumor had swelled her ovary, normally as small as a walnut, to the size of a baseball. And there was another one on her other ovary. A seven-hour surgery left her with a full hysterectomy and then the fun began: chemotherapy.

Morrison didn't respond well to the drug and tried, to date, at least 10 different varieties. The cancer was carried by the lymph nodes, nestled into pockets in her abdominal cavity and made it up to her neck. Subsequent surgeries were performed. Morrison is aware it may progress to her brain.

To help her cope with her medical problems, Morrison searched the Internet, called doctors and cancer organizations. When she learned there were no support groups in Nevada for ovarian cancer patients, she created OCAN. It is operating with a $10,000 grant from a Washington, D.C.-based national group.

The organization was officially unveiled in June 2000 and its mission is to support women affected by the disease through its monthly meetings, raise awareness and educate the public by speaking at nursing seminars, church groups, health fairs, anywhere they can reach people.

Many women, for example, think a PAP smear can detect ovarian cancer. It can't.

Ovarian cancer is the deadliest of all gynecologic cancers and is usually diagnosed late stage, when it is more difficult to treat. In the United States this year, more than 23,000 women will be diagnosed and 14,000 will die from it.

If diagnosed in early stages, it is 90 percent to 95 percent curable.

Early symptoms indicative of ovarian cancer include: abdominal bloating, feeling of fullness or pain; vague but persistent gas, nausea, indigestion, constipation or diarrhea; frequent or urgent urination, menstrual disorders or pain during intercourse; fatigue or backaches; weight gain or loss, abdominal distention.

Most women have these symptoms from time to time. The key is persistence. If any symptom lasts more than three weeks, the woman should go to her doctor and discuss ovarian cancer.

OCAN advocates every woman undergoing an annual bimanual rectovaginal pelvic examination. All gynecologists are trained in this examination method.

Morrison said she wants OCAN to reach thousands of women with information, because information is the one weapon against ovarian cancer.

OCAN can be found at www.ocan.org or call 796-0430.


<<--[back]