On June 2, 2007, the sisters of Sigma Alpha Omega® voted to adopt Ovarian Cancer Awareness as our national philanthropy.  The sorority is currently working with Ovarian Cancer National Alliance.  The purpose of OCNA is to “to conquer ovarian cancer by uniting individuals and organizations in a national movement.”  We are very excited about this opportunity and are looking forward to raising awareness and funds to support this organization.

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

The Ovarian Cancer National Alliance has dedicated the whole month of September to ovarian cancer awareness.
We encourage all chapters to take advantage of this opportunity to tell others about ovarian cancer. 

Some ideas might be:
  • Wear teal ribbons, bracelets, or T-shirts throughout the whole month of September.
  • Pass out fact sheets to women on campus.
  • Decorate your campus walkways with teal colored sidewalk chalk.
  • Host an awareness event, and an invite a local cancer survivor as the guest speaker.
  • Hold fundraising events to raise money for OCNA. 

You can learn more about Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month at www.ovariancancer.org.

photo by Khaliah M. Shaw, Theta Chapter


Ovarian Cancer Statistics and Facts:

  • Each year in the United States more than 21,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer
  • Each year about 15,000 women die of ovarian cancer
  • A woman’s lifetime risk of developing invasive ovarian cancer is 1 in 71
  • A woman’s lifetime risk of dying from invasive ovarian cancer is 1 in 95
  • Ovarian cancer primarily develops in women over 45
  • Ovarian cancer is the 9th most common cancer among women
  • Ovarian cancer is the 5th leading cause of cancer-related death among women

 

Common Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer:

  • Bloating
  • Pelvic or abdominal pain
  • Urinary urgency or frequency
  • Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly

Statistics, facts, and symptoms provided by Ovarian Cancer National Alliance.