Our ‘Better Together’ cross border event, showcased to guests the holistic interventions that we offer, in addition to our support services and programmes.
We were also really proud to showcase our education offering, with female cancer awareness, male cancer awareness, ‘reduce your risk’ and children’s ‘reduce your risk’ sessions which are available in both Irish and English.
Our Ballymagowan allotment volunteers spoke about their experiences and how the allotment has benefited them in many ways. All our members are welcome to pop up to this beautiful space, connect with nature and lower their stress levels.
If getting your hands dirty growing organic pesticide free fruit ‘n’ veg isn’t your thing you can enjoy the peaceful views over our beautiful city or have the craic with our allotment volunteers (and the craic with that crew is fierce!).
Guest enjoyed a SingTonicity session, which uses singing and breathing techniques to boost well being is just one initiatives we can bring to communities to help look after mental health.
The ‘Better Together’ project is run in partnership with Triax Neighbourhood Management Team.
One in Five Women in Ireland don’t want to ‘make a fuss’ when it comes to addressing possible symptoms of Cancer
Latest research highlights lack of awareness of the symptoms of Ovarian Cancer
Four in five not confident of noticing symptoms
One in three mistakenly believe cervical screening checks for all gynaecological cancers
One in five feel ‘too busy’ to make time to go to the doctor
Ovarian Cancer incidence projected to increase by 80% in Ireland in next 20 years1
Dublin, Wednesday, 8th May 2024 – New research carried out in April 2024 amongst adult women in Ireland, has highlighted that one out of five women in Ireland are reluctant to address the symptoms of cancer with a healthcare professional as they ‘don’t want to make a fuss’. The study was commissioned by the Irish Network for Gynaecological Oncology (INGO) to mark World Ovarian Cancer Day on Wednesday 8th May 2024. The INGO are deeply concerned about the lack of awareness of symptoms among women in Ireland, with four in five not confident of identifying symptoms.
Alarmingly the research also shows that one in five women would not attend their doctor with possible symptoms because they are worried about what it might unearth, and one in five would not attend because they are ‘too busy’. Unfortunately, more than three quarters of patients with ovarian cancer are diagnosed when the disease is at a late stage. This is partly due to the vagueness of symptoms and similarity with other conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, and in some cases, symptoms may not always be obvious or present at all.
To mark World Ovarian Cancer Day on Wednesday 8th May 2024the INGO has launched a campaign to raise awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer and encourage women to contact and explain their symptoms to their GP if they are worried, as early diagnosis can save lives. The campaign emphasises the BEAT symptoms:
• Bloating that is persistent and doesn’t come and go
• Eating less and feeling full more quickly
• Abdominal and pelvic pain you feel most days
• Toilet changes in urination or bowel habits
The clear message is that if a woman experiences any of these symptoms for three weeks or more, she should contact her GP.
INGO have partnered with Brazilian street artist Brutto, who created an impressive mural on Grafton Street last Saturday depicting BEAT messaging and educating passersby on ovarian cancer symptoms. Several notable landmarks across the country will also light up in teal, World Ovarian Cancer Day’s official colour, on the 8th of May, including Leinster House in Dublin, the Titanic Museum Belfast and City Hall in Cork.
Orla Dolan, CEO of Breakthrough Cancer Research commented:
“The evidence is clear that women do not have good awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer or feel comfortable approaching healthcare professionals with relevant concerns. For other cancers like skin cancer, national campaigns have changed knowledge and behaviours and we need to see this for Gynaecological cancers too. Amazing Irish researchers are currently working on ways to better detect and treat these cancers but finding them early makes a huge difference in terms of survival. We need to educate and empower people with the signs and symptoms to look for.”
Annually, approximately 400 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and almost 300 women die from this disease in the Republic of Ireland2. In Northern Ireland, almost 300 are diagnosed and 128 women die3. Ovarian cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in women in Ireland, after lung, breast, and colorectal cancer.
There is no standard screening test to pick up ovarian cancer in women who don’t have symptoms. Early diagnosis can significantly improve survival – 88% of patients diagnosed with stage one ovarian cancer are alive five years after diagnosis compared to 17% with stage four ovarian cancer.
The campaign also seeks to dispel the myth that cervical screening detects ovarian cancer. The research showed that one in three mistakenly believe that CervicalCheck Screening Programme checks for all five gynaecological cancers (ovarian, cervical, uterine, vulva and vaginal). It is important for women to understand that cervical screening only checks whether a woman is at risk of having cervical cancer and no other cancer type.
Ovarian cancer patient and BRCA gene carrier Orla Hyland said:
“Looking back I might have spotted the symptoms earlier. I may have been eating less and have felt fuller earlier but, being a bit of an emotional eater I would have been happy to have been eating less. One great thing about cancer is how many people are wholeheartedly researching new routes to a cure. I’m grateful to have a wonderful oncologist in whom I feel great confidence.”
Christine Campbell, Ovarian Cancer Patient said:
“Women’s bodies go through so many changes in our lifetime that I believe we instinctively know when something does not feel right. This was my experience when the classic symptoms of Ovarian Cancer first started to appear in Nov 2020 before my diagnosis in April 2021. Symptoms such as bloating, loss of appetite, severe fatigue, bleeding after menopause.”
Dr. Karen Cadoo, Medical Oncologist and Cancer Geneticist in St James’s Hospital said:
“While the median age for diagnosis is 65 years, this can also be younger for those who have a genetic predisposition. Although it is difficult to find out that there is increased cancer risk in a family, this information provides a huge opportunity to intervene and prevent cancers. Thankfully there has been increased genetic testing in women with ovarian cancer over recent years but we still have a lot of work to do. More awareness, education and acceptance of genetic testing is needed and all women with a current or past diagnosis of ovarian cancer should talk to their doctor about genetic testing.”
INGO are delighted to have the support of the Ladies Gaelic Football Association, Peter Mark and Press Up hospitality for their support in highlighting BEAT symptoms among their networks.
Spread the message using thehashtags #WOCD2024 #NOWOMANLEFTBEHIND #thisisgo
1 Demographic projections (NCRI 2019)
2 National Cancer Registry Ireland
3 Norther Ireland Cancer Registry
Support
OvaCare and Cancer Cancer Support are grateful for the support received from AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline towards the World Ovarian Cancer Day campaign. The INGO acknowledges the support of Breakthrough Cancer Research who commissioned the research survey for the campaign. The INGO are grateful for the support of the National Cancer Control Programme.
World Ovarian Cancer Day Activities
As part of World Ovarian Cancer Day activities OvaCare, an ovarian cancer support charity will be hosting a coffee and chat event in the Radisson Hotel, Letterkenny from 11am to 1pm on Sat 11th May 2024. Please visit https://ovacare.ie/events/event-registration/ to register.
On Monday 6th May, Aideen McCabe completed a 10km charity swim at Leisure World in Bishopstown with proceeds going to OvaCare and Look Good Feel Better.
Buildings will also be lighting up teal on the 8th of May including; Ballinasloe Monument, Cavan Courthouse, City Hall Cork, Convention Centre Dublin, Coombe Hospital, Daly’s Shakey Bridge Cork, East Galway and Midlands Cancer Support Centre, Laois County Council, Leinster House, Limerick City & County Council Corporate Headquarters, Limerick City & County Council, Mansion House Dublin, Rock of Cashel, St. James’s Hospital, UCD Water Tower.
The Irish Network for Gynaecological Oncology (INGO) Members
The Irish Network for Gynaecological Oncology is a voluntary coordination body and consists of thirty of Ireland’s foremost gynaecological cancer campaigners, researchers, and patient advocates, listed below. The aim of the group is to raise awareness of gynaecological cancers across the island of Ireland. The group participates in two major international events annually: World Ovarian Cancer Day on May 8th and World Gynaecological Cancer Day on September 20th.
ARC Cancer Support Centres, Dublin; Answers for Cancer Podcast team; Breakthrough Cancer Research; Cancer Care West; Cancer Trials Ireland; CERVIVA; Circle of Friends Cancer Support Centre; Coombe Hospital, Dublin; Cork ARC Cancer Support; Cork Cancer Care Centre; East Galway and Midlands Cancer Support Centre; Emer Casey Foundation; Irish Cancer Society; Irish Society of Gynaecological Oncology; Karen Fenton Ovarian Cancer Fund; Lynch Syndrome Ireland; Marie Keating Foundation; Mater Hospital Dublin; National Cancer Control Programme; National Immunisation Office; National Women’s Council of Ireland; OvaCare; Hive Cancer Support, Derry; Purple House Cancer Support; Queens, Belfast; Sláinte an Chláir; Sligo Cancer Support; SOCK; Swell Fermanagh Cancer Survivorship Group; St. James’s Hospital Foundation (GynaeCancerCare); Trinity College Dublin; Trinity St. James’s Cancer Institute; University College Dublin School of Medicine; University College Dublin Gynaecological Oncology Group and 221+ CervicalCheck Patient Support Group.
World Ovarian Cancer Day
World Ovarian Cancer Day was established in 2013 and is the flagship awareness day of the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition. It is a global movement bringing women living with ovarian cancer, their families and supporters, patient advocacy organisations, medical practitioners and researchers together each year on the 8th May to raise awareness of ovarian cancer.
Behaviour & Attitudes Survey Research Methodology
The ovarian cancer research was conducted by Behaviour & Attitudes and is the third annual study since launch in April 2022 on the state of knowledge in Ireland on ovarian cancer. Fieldwork on the study ran from 11/4/2024 to 22/4/2024. The identity of the commissioning client was not disclosed to enhance objectivity.
Participants in the survey were interviewed online. Quota controls were used to ensure the survey is representative of all women over the age of 18 in Ireland. Quota parameters (gender, age group, region, and area) were established based upon the latest census of population as well as industry-agreed estimates in respect of socio-economic status. Survey participants are members of Behaviour & Attitudes Acumen online panel. At a sample size of 553, the data can be deemed accurate to within a margin of error of +/- five percentage points.
Simply put, these are chemicals that we’re exposed to via our environment, which includes the foods we eat, the water and beverages we drink, the products we buy and use every day, the homes we live in, the buildings we work and go to school in, and in fact, the very air we breathe.
Over 350,000 chemicals and chemical mixtures are estimated to be registered globally – that’s a lot!
Why we should be concerned.
While not all of those 350,000 chemicals are harmful ( many have made our lives safer and longer), there is a growing list of chemicals that are known or suspected of causing or contributing to serious chronic and acute health issues in people.
Chemical exposures are linked to everything from hormone disruption, metabolic syndromes, neurological disorders, fertility issues, fetal developmental issues, behavioral issues in children, autoimmune issues, cancers, and more.
And, we are all exposed! For some chemicals, like PFAS, it’s estimated that 99% of people have them in their blood.
The usual thinking when it comes to chemicals is that in order for them to be harmful, we need to be exposed to a large amount. But for some types of chemicals, specifically, endocrine-disrupting ones, very low levels of exposure matter, and are linked to serious health issues.
What can we do?
The first thing to do is not panic! While learning about and addressing environmental exposures can feel overwhelming (especially if you’re learning about it on your own), it doesn’t have to be!
Our goal is to start the process of reducing our exposure to as many harmful chemicals in our daily lives as we can. This typically entails making many small, but meaningful changes in your day-to-day choices and activities – things like minimizing the use of plastic in the kitchen, ditching the home fragrances, swapping to cleaner cleaners, and dusting more frequently, to name just a few.
We were delighted to welcome the Community Foundation for NI for a visit as part of the #SeeingIsBelieving tour.
They were joined by donors, trustees and staff from the Department of Health to see the impact of funding first hand.
The delegation came to our Creggan Hub to hear from members, volunteers and staff about the work we do.
The group included DOH Cancer Strategy Unit members who enjoyed our showcase at our busy ‘Hive’ of activity.
It was so moving to hear our members say Hive Cancer Support has been their anchor during their cancer journey.
As our project manager Maureen said: “To hear from members how we have shown light in their darkest times, walked with them, laughed with them, cried with them and sang with them was the most valuable gift of all.”
Our amazing Hive Cancer Support Choir travelled to Belfast to perform live at the launch of Dumb World’s new exhibition at The Mac – Whales, Bats & Anarchy a Journey of Co-Creation.
The choir worked with Brian Irvine to pen their very own song ‘The Buzz’ which features a memorable line about a sausage dog called Lucas- so what else could they get printed on their t-shirts?
After composing & recording the tune they went on to create their very own music video!
