NOCC Gears Up For September Awareness
“Not knowing is killing us,” strikes urgent tone in the fight against ovarian cancer
DALLAS – Since 1998 when former President Bill Clinton proclaimed September to be National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC) has leveraged this widespread public attention to educate women about one of the world’s deadliest cancers. Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, the NOCC is the oldest and largest ovarian cancer organization of its kind in the country. NOCC kicked off its September awareness campaign with the theme, “not knowing is killing us.”The campaign dramatically points out how devastating this silent killer can be for the one in 75 women who will battle ovarian cancer in their lifetime.
“Not knowing” is literally killing thousands of women every year. Women usually don’t feel ‘sick’ early on and since there are no early detection tests, most women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer at a very late stage. The medical community does not yet know enough to effectively detect and treat the disease in its early stages,” said David Barley, chief executive officer of NOCC.
At the center of NOCC’s month-long awareness blitz are the organization’s signature Run/Walks to Break the Silence on Ovarian Cancer® located in markets across the United States. Each event celebrates those surviving and thriving and honors those we have lost to the disease. Not only are these community events the NOCC’s major fundraiser for the year, they are also the most visible events to help get the word out about awareness and the steps women can take to fight ovarian cancer. For anyone interested in participating, the NOCC urges you to visit http://ovarian.org/knowovarian to learn more.