World Ovarian Cancer Day May 8: One Voice for Every Woman

Individuals around the world, including the UAE, are invited to join the global movement to raise awareness about ovarian cancer.  This year the theme will celebrate the natural bond women have with each other, encouraging people to send in photos of celebratory bonding moments and to sign the awareness pledge located on the website (www.ovariancancerday.org) to spread the word about ovarian cancer for the third annual World Ovarian Cancer Day (WOCD) on May 8th.
 
 “Now in its third year, World Ovarian Cancer Day has grown globally to over 78 organizations from 25 countries,” says Elisabeth Baugh, chair of the WOCD international organizing committee and CEO of Ovarian Cancer Canada. “In celebrating the unique bonds of women, we are acknowledging the strong drive they have to share and help each other.  Without women, the world would not be. Joining together, our common voice symbolizes a global support group for the 250,000 women who will be diagnosed this year with ovarian cancer.”
 
Celebrate the women you love, trust, and are proud to know by helping to raise awareness about ovarian cancer and participate in a video of celebratory images to be released globally on May 8, World Ovarian Cancer Day. Submit a photo of a moment which exemplifies women in solidarity – laughing, playing, working together to make a difference.
 
“Our outreach has demonstrated the ability of this campaign to increase awareness of the disease and to connect people internationally with the resources available to educate others,” explained members of the Steering Committee, Calaneet Balas, CEO of the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance, Annwen Jones, Target Ovarian Cancer and Alison Amos, Australia.   “This year we want to put faces to that movement – faces of women who care about and support each other.”
 
In 2015, not only cancer organizations, but all interested groups who care about the health of women internationally are invited to register and partner with us. The pledge also engages individuals worldwide, empowering them with information about ovarian cancer and a quick and easy way to pass on the word about the disease.
 
All those who sign the World Ovarian Cancer Day pledge at www.ovariancancerday.org will receive an e-card on May 8 with ovarian cancer risk and symptom information. This card is to be passed along to at least five friends, who in turn will be encouraged to pass it along to their friends.
 
Each year, nearly a quarter of a million women around the world are diagnosed with ovarian cancer and the disease is responsible for 140,000 deaths annually. According to the 2012 Globocan project by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO), which examined cancer incidence and mortality in 184 countries, ovarian cancer is the fourth most common cancer for women in the UAE. Statistics show that just 45% of women with ovarian cancer are likely to survive for five years compared with 89% of women with breast cancer. Women in developed and developing countries are similarly affected by ovarian cancer.
 
The recent disclosure by Angelina Jolie Pitt about prophylactic surgery to remove her fallopian tubes and ovaries because of a genetic predisposition for ovarian and breast cancer has put knowledge about your family history in the spotlight. Approximately 15%- 20% of cases of ovarian cancer are due to family history. This means having a close blood relation (mother, sister, daughter, grandmother, granddaughter, aunt or niece) on either your mother’s or your father’s side of the family who has had breast cancer before the age of 50 or ovarian cancer at any age. In addition to sharing symptom and risk information, WOCD will also focus on prevention of ovarian cancer.
 
 WOCD’s social media campaign includes the WOCD website (available in 4 languages: English, French, Portuguese and Spanish), Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest. Activities in 2014 were highlighted in photos and through the pledge dissemination which reached over 15,000 people.  This will continue to grow on May 8  this year including “lighting the world in teal” – the colour that represents ovarian cancer.
 
World Ovarian Cancer Day has become a global movement in three short years.  Uniting patient organizations globally, it has also sparked interest and involvement from healthcare professionals in countries around the world. This year we celebrate the voice of women in making a difference as we unite and speak with one voice to raise awareness of ovarian cancer. Globally, rejoicing on our unique bond, we will ensure that no woman with ovarian cancer walks alone.