23-Year-Old Ovarian Cancer Survivor Hopes to Spread Awareness

By Madelaine D. First Posted: Sep 21, 2020 08:14 AM EDT

(Photo : Twitter Screenshot)
A 23-year-old ovarian cancer survivor has a message to all women-- Know the symptoms. The young woman from Parker hopes to spread the words for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

A 23-year-old ovarian cancer survivor has a message to all women - Know the symptoms. The young woman from Parker hopes to spread the words for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

Emily Pickthall reminisced the days of her battle when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She said, "That was just the scariest moment. I'm like, I'm only 21."

At such a young age, it is rare to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer. However, it happens, as per KDVR.

Know the symptoms of ovarian cancer: 23-year-old survivor spreads the word - FOX 31 Denver: PARKER, Colo. (KDVR) – Know the symptoms. That’s the message a 23-year-old from Parker is hoping to spread for Ovarian… https://t.co/RQuGjxcSHa #guestpost #globalnews #worldfirstnews pic.twitter.com/Nk0D8pGIkg — @easyjanjansen (@easyjanjansen) September 21, 2020

Pickthall admitted that she knew there was something wrong with her. Still, she never learned to talk to her doctor regarding the possibility of having ovarian cancer, especially at such a young age. She said that she might have caught the disease earlier if she had learned about the symptoms beforehand.

Now Pickthall wants to spread Awareness. Ovarian cancer symptoms include feeling full very quickly, bloating, nausea, abdominal pain, or bowel habits changes. But those symptoms could be symptoms of other diseases as well. Ovarian cancer is a disease that has these kinds of similar symptoms to different conditions and should be discussed with your doctor, Dr. Saketh Guntupalli, a gynecological oncologist at UCHealth, said.

Dr. Guntupalli explained that ovarian cancer is really important to at least have a discussion about as "we don't want to miss the early stage that we can potentially cure." The gynecological oncologist added that ovarian cancer has an 80% cure rate if caught at stage one or two. However, Dr. Guntupalli said that 75% of women are usually diagnosed at stage three or four.

People tend to ignore the symptoms just because those are not very specific, the doctor said. Patients need to educate themselves and discuss their symptoms, which Pickthall agrees with. "Honestly, you kind of have to demand answers," Pickthall said.

Pickthall's ovarian cancer is now undetectable after surgeries and six rounds of chemotherapy at UCHealth.

Ovarian cancer is a kind of cancer that forms in the ovaries first and the third most common cancer in women after cervical and breast cancer. Since September is an Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, let's get a better understanding of this disease and the experts' inputs and guidance. Here is what you need to know about ovarian cancer.