LEARN, LISTEN and ACT to Prevent and Detect Women's Cancers

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- September is Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month (GCAM) and the Foundation for Women's Cancer (formerly the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation) celebrates its 20th anniversary this year with an educational campaign to help women of all ages across the country LEARN how to prevent and detect women's cancers, LISTEN for common body symptoms, and ACT quickly to seek care from a gynecologic oncologist if she suspects or has been diagnosed with a gynecological cancer.

An estimated 88,000 new cases of reproductive cancer (cervical, endometrial, ovarian, vaginal and vulval) will be diagnosed and approximately 64,000 American women will die from these cancers in 2011. Disturbingly, Washington, DC has the highest per capita mortality rate for ovarian cancer in the nation.

One meaningful way to support GCAM's goals is to register for the National Race to End Women's Cancer on Sunday, Nov. 6 in Washington, DC. The race is part of a series of weekend events, including free educational courses for survivors on Saturday, November 5th, designed to raise awareness and crucial research funding to fight gynecologic cancers.

Jennie McGihon, DC native and 35-year-old survivor of ovarian and uterine cancer, is the Survivors Committee Chair for the National Race.

"I was an otherwise healthy, active 32-year-old, and it took my doctors almost a year to properly diagnose my cancer," said McGihon, a senior marketing manager at Deloitte. "I'm committed to raising awareness and research funding that helps women prevent, detect, treat and defeat these 'below the belt' cancers."

To register for the 8K run or 1-mile walk/run, click here. Supporters who can't make it to DC can still participate by joining the Virtual Team.

"Through GCAM's LEARN, LISTEN, ACT initiative and the National Race to End Women's Cancer, the Foundation for Women's Cancer's is determined to expand outreach to women not yet diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer, to alert them to methods of early detection and prevention of these often-overlooked cancers," added David M. Gershenson, M.D., Chair of the Board of the Foundation. "In addition to funding research on best treatments, this is our major goal."

Follow National Race News on Facebook and on Twitter: GYN Cancer: #EndWomensCancer

Contact: Karen Bate, 703-402-2672

Graphic to accompany this story: http://www.xpresspress.com/assets/race_logo.jpg

SOURCE Foundation for Women's Cancer