A Derry woman diagnosed with ovarian cancer at the age of 28 is on a campaign to help others and raise awareness.
Natalie Cairns is one of the organisers of an event taking place in Derry this weekend which aims to highlight information surrounding ovarian cancer and to provide a space for those who have suffered from ovarian cancer to come together.
Derry will Ovacome's first event will be held in Shantallow community centre on Saturday, March 26, from 12.30pm till 2.30pm. This event is for anyone who has been affected by ovarian cancer, or for anyone who wants to learn more about Ovarian cancer and the support that is available.
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Natalie spoke to MyDerry about this upcoming event and the need for more readily available information for those with ovarian cancer.
She said: "At the age of 28 I was diagnosed with a tumour on my ovary which was removed. When I was 29 it reoccurred on my remaining ovary, which lead me to needing a full radical hysterectomy and put into early menopause.
" I found it difficult to get information on recovery or support to cope. My consultant gave me details of the charity Ovacome, who are based in England, as I found there was very limited local support and information on Ovarian cancer and surgical menopause.
"Throughout my recovery I have met many individuals and families who have unfortunately had similar experiences, and this is the reason I continue to campaign."
Many of the diagnoses of ovarian cancer are caught at a later stage due to a lack of awareness. Natalie wants to change this.
She said: "Quite often ovarian cancer symptoms are ignored and go undetected until they are at an advance stage, which then makes it more difficult to treat and recover from and sadly too many women still lose their lives.
"Therefore, knowing the key signs such as persistent bloating, difficulty eating or feeling full easily, changes to your urination or bowel movements, pelvic pain and tiredness are essential in saving lives.
" This type of cancer is not as common as other cancers and as a result medical professionals may think of other health complaints and possibly may not even take their patients concerns onboard as something serious like ovarian cancer.
"Most women who are diagnosed are over the age of 50, but I have come to learn that many young women with no family history can also get this type of cancer."
Natalie hopes that putting on events like these will help women to be able to catch symptoms earlier and potentially save lives. Going forward, Natalie knows there is a lot more needing to be done.
She said: " Early diagnosis and treatment are essential in being able to recover from this disease. There are no screening programmes for this type of cancer.
"At a governmental level I believe they should help fund services to support families who are impacted and help raise awareness so that no woman is faced with a bleak outlook after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
"Medical professionals need to listen to their patients to rule ovarian cancer out if a patient presents with symptoms.
"I would like to see more information sessions delivered in Universities around ovarian cancer, so that they understand the seriousness of this and the impact it has not just on the patient but the whole family."
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