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DO YOU KNOW the signs and symptoms of the ‘silent killer’, ovarian cancer?
The first annual World Ovarian Cancer Day will take place on 8 May and its aim is to help raise awareness of the disease and its symptoms.
Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynaecological malignancy in the western world, and is diagnosed annually in nearly a quarter of a million women globally. Sadly, it is responsible for 140,000 deaths each year and 70 per cent of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer die within 5 years.
Ireland recently ranked 4th highest of 30 countries surveyed in terms of incidence rates, and has the highest mortality rate in Europe.
World Ovarian Cancer Day
Ovarian cancer is often called the ‘silent killer’, and remains very challenging, mainly because there tends to be a lack of awareness of symptoms and late stage diagnosis.
Symptoms of ovarian cancer can often be confused with other less serious conditions such as gastrointestinal disorder, and this means the majority of patients are identified in the advanced stages. It is at this stage that the disease becomes more difficult to treat.
According to the organisers of World Ovarian Cancer Day, experts now believe it is the frequency and combination of symptoms that can help doctors distinguish between ovarian cancer and other conditions.
So if a woman experiences one or more of the following symptoms on most days within a three week period, they should discuss their concerns with their doctor:
There can be other symptoms which also occur, including change in bowel habits, abnormal vaginal bleeding, fatigue, and unexpected weight loss or weight gain around the abdomen. However these are less helpful when a doctor is trying to determine whether or not ovarian cancer is the cause.
Dr Matt Hewitt, Gynaecological Oncologist, Cork University Hospital and a member of OvaCare’s medical panel, pointed out that unlike cervical cancer, there currently is no reliable screening test for ovarian cancer.
Although ovarian cancer can be a deadly disease, if it is diagnosed at the earliest stage it can be treated effectively with surgery and chemotherapy, leading to survival rates of up to 90 per cent.
Rachel Ireland, co-founder of OvaCare, was sporting teal nail polish at the launch and said that teal is the recognised colour for ovarian cancer charity organisations worldwide. They hope that by wearing the nail polish, women will get their friends and colleagues talking about the disease and its symptoms.
World Ovarian Cancer Day is being promoted in Ireland by three ovarian cancer charities: OvaCare, Supporting Ovarian Cancer Knowledge (SOCK) and the Emer Casey Foundation.
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It’s too early for polls asking is it too early for Christmas
I used to hate working in retail and the day after Halloween it was all christmas decorations and music. Never mind the fact that I probably didn’t even get to do anything for Halloween bar work and I knew I would be working Christmas eve and possibly Stephens day because people think the world is going to end if shops are closed for more than 2 days. I hated how early that reminder was shoved in my face
Here, here. *salutes
God love you Dean.
What really makes me feel for retail workers at Christmas is the incessant Christmas music that is played over and over again. Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas Carols, and it’s great for me as a customer, but it a nightmare to be hearing the same songs for 6 weeks!
It actually made me hate Christmas songs and i didn’t mind a few of them. But 8 hours a day of the same 20 songs on a loop was ridiculous.
@Maria Mhic Mheanmain,
Imagine what it must be like for the people who work in the shops.
Dean you might have a case against your employer for unnecessary cruelty
if westlife music can be considered to be torture you have a case!
@Dermot Lane, if I had thought of it then believe me I would have tried ha. It was cruelty of the highest order
I love Christmas, I always enjoyed it with my kids, but that’s when it’s actually AT Christmas and not in early November.
On a side note I remember that Kelloggs advert the first time around, the wee blonde child in it was identical to my daughter, same blonde hairstyle and even had an identical pink romper suit. It used to bring a tear to my late father’s eye every time he saw it so, consequently, it now reminds me of both of them. But at Christmas. She’ll probably kill me for this, but she’s 27 now.
As soon as Halloween is over the Christmas ads start airing. So I propose that we move Halloween to the 30th of November.
Your ideas intrigue me and I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.
Well especially since met eireann keep telling us November is still in autumn! Isn’t Halloween meant to mark the end of autumn?
Yeah think it is. Okay so, we’ll move Christmas to November 25th instead
I think we souls move St Patrick’s day to July as it too bloody cold in March.
*should
Of course it is. First day of November and they were peddling their crap already. Two months of listening to the same nonsense for something that lasts a day. It’s absolute overkill. And I bloody love Christmas. AT CHRISTMAS TIME.
Em… Christmas lasts 12 days… And advent starts this year on the 29th November…
Christmas starts on Christmas Eve and runs until the 6th January
Christmas time is a social construct.
……
Tell you when I find it to early to advertise Christmas, is in January when they start telling you how to save for the Christmas coming!! Now that drives me mad!! lol♡
Yes!!!
Love the little girl… Ho Ho Ho…
If I was in government, I would introduce the Christmas Act 2015 that would an all mention of Christmas until 1 December.
December 8th
Rosie that add was out when my daughter was the same age as that little girl. My daughter is now 19!!
Is she single????
No!!!!!!!!!!!
Lol
They never are Deb, they never are.
The corporate world has well and truly hijacked Chrimbo years ago. I heard Denis O Brien has bought the rights to it. Baby Jesus is now his intellectual property and the three wise men are his bitches.
Yes yes it is too bleeding early!
Anyone who Christmas-advertises before December is not getting my hard-earned money.
Well that’s you not spending a shilling so!!
I adore Christmas and am getting the big presents now but yes it’s too bloody early. My 3 yr old is very excited about Christmas and wanted to decorate the house the second Halloween was over and I explained to her that we have to wait till Dec but then we walk into our local supermarket and they are decorated and the ADs are EVERYwhere!!!!
I don’t think the whole christmas holiday is what annoys people or trees, decorations etc. its the shops and corporations and businesses doing to Ireland what goes on in America and just basically try and bleed as much as it can out of people especially parents who they know by firing ads about xmas and toys means kids will start wanting this and that. For me xmas starts the last weekend in November but any earlier and by the time we hit December I am hating the whole idea
T’was Christmas eve and little 8 month old tiny Tims mother is telling Facebook she got him a ps4 and an iPhone out of her childrens allowance.
Was this back before Children’s Allowance was abolished, or was she just lying because she didn’t want her kid to know that Santa Claus really brings them?
Derp derp derp
More bollocks!
To early for ads? I put the tree up sunday with ’101 Christmas anthems’ belting out from the stereo.
I very much hate you
Good man Leon
There’s no need for hate Colm. After all,it is the season to be jolly.
Good for you Leon, you’d get on well with Andy Parks :) http://www.independent.ie/world-news/and-finally/its-christmas-every-day-for-andy-29889645.html
Good ol Andy,he’s an inspiration. Christmas dinner everyday? Yes please:-)
Poor Sunday lol.
It’s never too early to celebrate Christmas just don’t start calling it the holiday season.
Thank god for my internet box no adds avoid terrestrial channels until January happy out
Same, its amazing not having ad breaks every 10 minutes.
I agree. Haven’t seen an ad on telly in 2 years. Netflix and streaming is the way to go if you don’t like ads.
@Uncle Monty,
Netflix is great, but it’s a pity we still have to pay those gangsters in RTE.
I’ve only ever paid it once Eamon, and that was too many times.
No it’s not too early. We can do what we want. F@uck off
Someones hormonal this morning..
I’m not really one for live television but the Xmas ads do give you a fuzzy feeling when they come on. That kid must be in her 40′s now. I wonder does she get paid for every time the ad is on??
Enjoy it while you can, after a few more years of mass immigration the whole of Europe will be Islamicized.
Does it really matter….we will get them anyway.
December 6th is St Nicholas’ Day, so that should be the date for adds.
December 1st and not a minute sooner!!!
@Sharon Kelly,
Actually it starts on December 8th.
Not had a christmas in ireland for many years. Itching to put the tree up.
The part I find really sad with Christmas adverts is the mad push to show them in October or early November and how they all instantly disappear in late December & early January when it is still part of the festive season. As soon the pre-christmas spending is complete they no longer want anything to do with the holiday.
Doesn’t bother me since I record every TV show I want to watch, and skip the ads.
I do the same myself Neal !
I used to work in retail and I hated how early the decorations would go up and the songs would be playing the day after Halloween. All it reminded me of was that I was working over Christmas and Stephens day because people think that the world is going to end if the shops are closed for more than 2 days.
I understand.
It probably made you hate Christmas songs although you didn’t mind a few of them. But 8 hours a day of the same 20 songs on a loop was ridiculous in your opinion.
Sympathies Dean.
No man knows the cruel fate you suffered.
Ignore all the retail pushers and wait till their prices drop Xmas eve
It’s the only time of the year that Most people are in happy mode. So bring it on.
With all the doom and gloom that comes in this country a little fun and cheer is just the job so bring it on!
I love your instant ‘mammy’ reaction Deborah! :-D
I have my tree up and on Thursday me, my dad and my brother will be in Dublin for the turning on of the Christmas lights and I cant wait. We are real christmas people and it doesn’t harm anyone. I work in retail and December can be an absolute write off, im too exhausted to do anything and the last place I want to go is near a busy shopping center so I make the most of November and enjoy the early Christmas cheer.
Christmas commercialised. Hate it !
Grinch.
Yea I love the Christmas adverts on tv but I feel for the workers in retail it has to b a pain in the hole
“Anyone for the last few starlights”
I actually think the elves were working throughout the Halloween night beating every trace of Halloween spirit down because I swear I wandered uptown the morning after & Christmas had literally landed in force!!!! Impressive in fairness.
Don’t forget the ads for mayonnaise( turkey leftovers) and actimel ” do u feel bloated” ads on at Stephens day
Yes, yes and yes and not ho ho ho…
Happy Christmas from Analsol, found under the Christmas tree lol.
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