World Ovarian Cancer Day

Ms JENNY AITCHISON (Maitland—Minister for Regional Transport and Roads) (20:27): Today is World Ovarian Cancer Day. The day highlights this silent killer: a cancer most women only recognise the symptoms of after the disease has reached an advanced stage and is largely incurable. It is vital that we know and can recognise the early warning signs. The four key symptoms to look out for are bloating or increased abdominal size, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, and the need to urinate frequently or urgently. Those are all things we are very reluctant to talk about and usually ignore as women. Greater awareness is the path to earlier diagnosis and treatment. If a woman experiences one or more of those complaints almost daily for more than a few weeks, they should see a doctor and ask for a pelvic exam. That one action could save their life. Five women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer today, and three women will lose their lives. Please know and recognise the symptoms. It could save a life.