Groups unite to raise gynecologic cancer awareness in September
AACR: More than 110K women will be diagnosed with disease in 2025
September is Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month, and advocacy organizations are hosting events, sharing information on social media, and raising funds to advance research.
Gynecological cancer encompasses five central cancers that affect the female reproductive tract — cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal, and vulvar. Many groups, such as the International Gynecologic Cancer Society (IGCS), have created detailed graphics and other tools to help distribute accurate information about these cancers that are often stigmatized, understudied, and misunderstood.
Throughout September, the Foundation for Women’s Cancer (FWC) will host its signature Move4Her fundraising events, with the Race to End Women’s Cancer set for Sept. 14. Participants can join in person in Washington, D.C., or virtually from anywhere in the country.
The FWC is also providing resources to help people spread the word on social media and encouraging community members to make their voices heard through the hashtags #GynecologicCancerAwarenessMonth, #GCAM, #MoveTheMessage, and #Move4Her. Along with informational toolkits, the FWC offers other resources, including information about clinical trials and patient stories from people who’ve survived gynecological cancers.
The Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA) is hosting online fundraisers and in-person events throughout the U.S. this month, the goal being to raise $300,000 to advance research, promote advocacy, and support the gynecological cancer community. OCRA’s website offers tools to spread the word on social media and stories from patients. OCRA also offers free genetic testing for people who have ovarian cancer or are at high risk of the disease.
Rates and risks
According to the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), about 110,850 women will be diagnosed with gynecological cancer in 2025, and more than 32,000 will die from it this year. AACR’s 7th Biennial Special Conference on Ovarian Cancer will take place Sept. 19-21 in Denver, and bring together scientists and clinicians to share research related to detecting and treating ovarian cancer.
The AACR notes that gynecological cancer can affect anyone with female reproductive organs, though, as with most types of cancer, the risk increases with older age. Other factors, such as infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV), can also affect the risk of some gynecological cancers. The National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC) calls vaccination against HPV a possible prevention against cervical cancer, as well as vaginal and vulvar cancers.
Fundraising efforts are also underway in the U.K., where Macmillan Cancer Support is asking community members to host charity coffee mornings to raise money to help support people affected by gynecological cancers.
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