The California Department of Public Health's Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (CCCP), in collaboration with the California Dialogue on Cancer, administers the California Ovarian Cancer Awareness Program (COCAP).

COCAP is an ovarian cancer awareness program targeting women 50 years of age and older in California. The goals of the program aim to foster an earlier stage of diagnosis, more rapid and accurate diagnostic procedures and development of better treatment modalities for long term reductions in mortality from ovarian cancer.

• Promote early symptom recognition by both healthcare providers and patients .
• Educate healthcare providers about current diagnostic recommendations for at-risk women .
• Disseminate ovarian cancer treatment recommendations and clinical trials information to foster wider participation by women diagnosed with ovarian cancer .

• Offer health care provider trainings/Continuing Medical Education (CME) on ovarian cancer screening and diagnostic recommendations. CME
• Fund awards to community based organizations (CBOs) to implement health care provider trainings or community education in local communities throughout the state. COCAP Awards
• Disseminate patient education materials throughout the state via print and video media. Educational Materials
• Network with various agencies and organizations to reach women at-risk for ovarian cancer including American Cancer Society (ACS), Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness, Research and Training (AANCART), and the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, Sacramento (NOCC). Partners

• Ovarian cancer is the deadliest of the gynecological cancers.
• Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer among California women.
• A woman's risk of getting ovarian cancer during her lifetime is about 1 in 67.
• Detected early and treated properly, more than 90% of women survive longer than 5 years.
• Pap tests RARELY detect ovarian cancer.
• Non-Hispanic white women are at the greatest risk for this cancer and Asian/Pacific Islander (API) women have the lowest risk. However, it is the fourth most common cancer in South Asian women and fifth most common in Chinese women in California.
• According to SEER data, the stage distribution indicates that 19% of ovary cancers are diagnosed while the cancer is still confined to the primary site whereas 68% are diagnosed after the cancer has already metastasized.
• In 1998, the economic burden of gynecologic cancers in California indicated that ovarian cancer was the most costly at an estimated $292 million, then cervical cancer at $206 million and uterine cancer at $126 million.

Women with ovarian cancer report that symptoms are presistent and represent a change from normal for their bodies. The frequency and/or number of such symptoms are key factors in the diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Women who have these symptoms almost daily for more than a few weeks should see their doctor, preferably a gynecologist. The following symptoms are much more likely to occur in women with ovarian cancer than women in the general population. These symptoms include:

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

Several other symptoms have been commonly reported by women with ovarian cancer. However, these other symptoms are not as useful in identifying ovarian cancer because they are also found in equal frequency in women in the general population who do not have ovarian cancer. These symptoms include:

• Fatigue
• Indigestion
• Back pain
• Pain with intercourse
• Constipation
• Menstrual irregularities

The preceding information does not take the place of medical advice.

1. California Dialogue on Cancer, Comprehensive Cancer Control in California ,2004. 2004: Oakland, CA
2. American Cancer Society, C.D.a.P.H.I., California Cancer Registry, California Facts and Figures, 2007. 2007, American Cancer Society, California Division; Oakland, CA
3. Schlag,R., et al., Ovarian Cancer in California. 2001, California Department of Health Services, Cancer Surveillance Section: Sacramento, CA
4. SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2003, L.A.G. Ries, et al., Editors. 2006, National Cancer Institute: Bethesda, MD.
5. Max, W., al., The economic burden of gynecological cancers in California, 1998. Gynecological Oncology, 2003.88(2); p.96-103.
6. American Cancer Society, Detailed Guide: Ovarian Cancer. 2008. [cited: Available from: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/CRI_2_1x.asp?dt=33.

** Gynecological Cancer Foundation, Ovarian Cancer Symptoms Consensus Statement. 2007 [cited; Available from: http://www.wcn.org/ov_cancer_cons.html]

To learn more about ovarian cancer and the symptoms to look for, click on Links or Educational Materials for more information.