Georgetown takes part in Turn the Town Teal campaign

Teal ribbons were placed in the Circle at Georgetown Aug. 28, as part of the Turn the Town Teal campaign to create awareness of ovarian cancer and its signs.

This initiative annually takes place in September as part of National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. The Delaware Ovarian Cancer Foundation, a 501(c)(3) all-volunteer organization, sponsors the campaign in its efforts to help save more women’s lives through its mission of increasing awareness and education, raising funds for research, and helping women diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

There is still no test for ovarian cancer, so knowledge of these symptoms is crucial. Symptoms are vague, including bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly. There are also urinary symptoms such as frequency or urgency. If symptoms persist more than two weeks, they should be discussed with a physician. Symptoms mimic other conditions, so ovarian cancer is extremely difficult to diagnose. All women are at risk, affecting 1 in 70 females of any age. Due to late diagnoses (less than 20% are diagnosed early) and a high recurrence rate (70% to 90%), it is the deadliest of the gynecologic cancers.

For more information, go to www.deovariancancer.org.