FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lee Spell, City Manager
912-729-5613 (Work)
KINGSLAND SET TO ‘TURN THE TOWN TEAL’ FOR OVARIAN CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
September 1, 2022 (Kingsland, GA) - The City of Kingsland is participating in a national campaign to create awareness of ovarian cancer and its symptoms. City officials will ‘Turn The Town Teal’ by lighting Kingsland City Hall in teal-colored lights and tying teal-colored bows to lamp posts in the downtown area. ‘Turn The Towns Teal’ is an annual initiative that takes place in September during national Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Mayor Day is hopeful this will bring awareness to the issue and help save lives.
Every woman is at risk of developing ovarian cancer. Knowing the subtle symptoms and risk factors can literally save a woman's life. If detected in its early stages, the success rate is 90-95%. Ovarian cancer ranks fifth in cancer deaths among women, In the United States, a woman's risk of getting ovarian cancer during her lifetime is about 1 in 78. As of today, there is no conclusive early detection test so knowledge of symptoms is crucial. Symptoms can include bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, and urinary symptoms such as frequency or urgency. The symptoms are vague, and if they persist more than two weeks, a woman should discuss them with her physician.
The American Cancer Society estimates 19,880 cases of ovarian cancer will be newly diagnosed in 2022 and 12,810 individuals will die from the disease nationwide. Fewer than 20% of cases are diagnosed early. Due to late diagnosis and a recurrence rate of 70% to 90%, ovarian cancer accounts for more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. When ovarian cancer is found early, over 93% of patients live longer than 5 years after diagnosis.
Residents are encouraged to join the awareness campaign by tying a teal ribbon on their mailbox to show support. Other signs of support include wearing teal on Tuesdays, teal awareness bands, teal ribbon car magnets and using teal nail polish.
# # #