Vic: Campaign launched to raise awareness of ovarian cancer

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Vic: Campaign launched to raise awareness of ovarian cancer

Eds: Reissuing to reinstate dropped word Australia (to correct name to National AustraliaBank) in last par

By Renee Barnes

MELBOURNE, Aug 3 AAP - A national campaign which aims to raise $200,000 for researchinto ovarian cancer - the sixth most common cancer affecting women - was launched in Melbournetoday.

Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation chairman Thomas Jobling said money raised by theSilver Ribbon campaign would be used to further develop an early detection test for thedisease.

"The harsh reality is that one Australian woman will die every 10 hours from ovariancancer until we find a way to detect the disease in its early stages," Associate ProfessorJobling said.

"We know that if we can diagnose ovarian cancer in the early stages we can cure about90 per cent of the patients, whereas in the later stages it is far more difficult to achievethis.

"The majority of ovarian cancer cases are diagnosed in an advanced stage, with only25 per cent of those women surviving more than five years."

Little is known about ovarian cancer despite it being the sixth most common cancerto affect women.

According to Newspoll research commissioned by the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation,63 per cent of Australian women incorrectly assume a pap smear can detect ovarian cancerin its early stages.

This figure rises to more than 77 per cent among women aged 18 to 25 years.

A pap smear is used for the detection of cervical, not ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer survivor Katia Kecse-Nagy said she had not heard of ovarian cancerbefore she was diagnosed with the disease.

"The naivety and ignorance of it (ovarian cancer) is sad," Ms Kecse-Nagy said.

"The fact that so many women die of it and it's so prolific means we need to get informationout there."

The Silver Ribbon Campaign aims to raise $200,000 through the sale of ribbons, whichwill be available for $2 from all National Australia Bank branches between August 4 andSeptember 5.

AAP rb/jt/drp

KEYWORD: OVARIAN (REISSUING)