HUNTINGTON -- Without early detection, Huntington resident Eva Madden says she would not be here today.

Madden was diagnosed with stage 1 ovarian cancer 12 years ago. Thanks to early detection, Madden had not progressed to the stage 3 cancer most women have developed before their disease is discovered. Stage 3 patients have a life expectancy of five years or less.

"It was four months early for my yearly checkup, and I just had a strange pain. If I had waited, you wouldn't be talking to me right now," she said.

Madden is an advocate for women knowing their bodies and seeking medical treatment when something seems wrong.

"If you feel like something is wrong, seek medical treatment. You know your body and if something is a little off," she said.

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. The disease is a cancer with no screening tests and seemingly no symptoms. An awareness ceremony and wreath hanging will take place at 12 p.m. Friday, Sept. 3, at Pullman Square in an attempt to educate women about their risk factors. Educational materials will be provided and refreshments will be served. Following the ceremony, the wreath will be moved to the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center.

"The earlier we can detect it, the better the outcome, but it's difficult because the symptoms are varying and there are no screening tests," said Caroline Schlatt, program coordinator of the West Virginia Ovarian Cancer Initiative, which is based at the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Risk factors for ovarian cancer include pelvic and abdominal pain, bloating, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly and frequency and urgency of urination, according to Schlatt. Other risk factors include increasing age and a personal or family history of ovarian, breast or colon cancers.

"What we tell women is that if you've had any of these symptoms nearly every day for two weeks or more, go and talk to your doctor or healthcare provider," she said.

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