LEXINGTON, Ky (WKYT) When passing through downtown Lexington, you may notice more than a dozen teal bows. Volunteers spent Sunday morning hanging the bows to help raise awareness about a silent killer
"The problem with ovarian cancer is that there is no test," said Kathy Tabb, an ovarian cancer survivor and member of Bluegrass Ovarian Cancer Support.
According to the American Cancer Society, more than 22,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year. Nearly 14,000 women die from the disease.
"If it's detected early in stage one or two, the prediction is a 93 percent survival rate up to five years," Tabb said.
But with no recommended screenings, women may have it and not even know.
"I am a 26-year-survivor. Mine was caught at stage two,"Tabb said. "My symptom was my tumor was lying on my kidney and I thought I had a kidney infection.
Symptoms include bloating, abdominal pain, trouble eating, and problems with urinating - symptoms that either aren't apparent in the early stages of the disease, or are often mistaken for minor ailments.
"Frequently a woman has these symptoms. They often see three different doctors before they're even diagnosed," Tabb said.
However, she explained that there is hope. Doctors can perform blood tests, trans-vaginal ultrasounds, and pelvic-rectal exams before sending a patient to see a gynecologic oncologist.
"Studies have shown that if they see a gynecologic oncologist the survival rate is much higher," Tabb explained. "You have to listen to your body and you have to be your own advocate."
The teal bows will be up the entire month of September.
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