Ovarian Cancers and
Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Awareness Month

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Abdominal Cancers Alliance. Awareness Month. Ovarian Cancers Awareness. Peritoneal Mesothelioma Awareness.

The need for awareness, support, and mobilization is urgent. Ovarian cancers are commonly referred to as "silent killers" due to their often vague symptoms that are easily mistaken for other conditions. Peritoneal mesothelioma is very rare, with only an estimated 500 cases per year, but this presents significant issues for getting patients to specialized care. Both of these kinds of cancers tend to present at late stages, making effective treatment more difficult and harder to access. Critically, patients dealing with these cancers often face delayed diagnoses - including cases that go undiagnosed or are misdiagnosed. Treatments like cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC (a procedure to circulate heated chemotherapy directly into the abdomen) can be lifesaving, but only if patients are diagnosed early and referred to specialists who understand their disease.

September is Ovarian Cancers and Peritoneal Mesothelioma Awareness Month! Join us all month long as we share information about these cancers to increase knowledge and bring attention to the importance of supporting patients and caregivers on their cancer journey.

Together we can make a difference!

Most people - patients, caregivers, doctors, and hospitals - don’t know enough about abdominal cancers and how to treat them. By joining with the Alliance and supporting these efforts, you are helping to:

Raise awareness so more people can learn about symptoms and take action to get diagnosed sooner
Connect patients, survivors, caregivers, and families to expert care and peer support
Promote research for better treatments and outcomes
Walk beside those affected by these often-overlooked diseases

Learn About These Cancers

All month long, we'll be sharing key things to know about these cancers and what patients and caregivers can do about them. Follow along on our News page to learn more!

Key Resources

Ovarian, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal tumors are treated the same way and often grouped together as “ovarian cancers.” Ovarian cancers are often diagnosed at advanced stages due to symptoms that go unnoticed or mistaken for other medical conditions. As such, any discernible signs and symptoms of ovarian cancers should be taken seriously and reported promptly.

Learn more about ovarian cancers

Peritoneal mesothelioma is a malignancy that originates in the lining of the peritoneum, the thin membrane that bounds the abdominal and pelvic cavities. Though rare and difficult to diagnose, aggressive treatment has been shown to extend life and quality of life in peritoneal mesothelioma patients.

Learn more about peritoneal mesothelioma

Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a highly specialized and advanced procedure. It involves surgically removing all visible tumors, followed by the circulation of heated chemotherapy directly in the abdomen to kill remaining microscopic cancer cells.

Learn about CRS/HIPEC

Surgery for cancers like ovarian cancers and peritoneal mesothelioma is a rapidly evolving field. It is neither possible nor advisable to offer a one-size-fits-all recommendation for every patient. And it is important to find a specialist who understands the patient's diagnosis. By seeking multiple opinions, patients stand to gain perspective, access additional expertise, and increase confidence in their decisions.

Finding multiple opinions

Many facilities across the United States and around the world are now performing the CRS/HIPEC procedure, so there may be a high-quality care provider near you. But not all care providers have the same level of expertise. It is important for patients and caregivers to advocate for themselves and evaluate potential care providers!

Questions to ask your physician

Managing ovarian cancers and peritoneal mesothelioma requires special skill and experience, so it is important to find a specialist who knows how to treat the diagnosis. Specialized treatment like CRS/HIPEC should only be performed by a highly experienced surgical oncologist with expertise in the procedure.

Finding a specialist

Inspiring Stories from Survivors and Caregivers

I am tough and I will fight every single time

Never give up

Fifteen Years Ago!

It's a song of defiance

Join a Special Peer-to-Peer Campaign!

As someone connected to abdominal cancers, you know better than anyone how difficult this journey can be. Your experience and the journey you've taken makes these cancers more visible. Your story helps to ground the realities that these patients and caregivers face in a real, lived, human experience.

That’s why your voice is so powerful!

We’ve launched this peer-to-peer campaign to raise awareness for a host of abdominal cancers and raise funds to fuel our mission - and we’d love to have you join as a member of the campaign team!