Ovarian cancer is a deadly disease that affects women from all walks of life. This disease is particularly insidious because it is so difficult to detect in its early stages. There is currently no test or vaccine for ovarian cancer, 90% of women suffering from ovarian cancer do not have a family history of this disease and, because its early symptoms are easily confused with other ailments, it is often misdiagnosed by doctors. Once a diagnosis is made, the disease is typically progressed and the statistics are grim, as three out of four women diagnosed will not survive ovarian cancer.
Jean Ann Neal
Ovarian cancer is devastating to women and their loved ones. This fact is known all to well to us at Clydesdale, as our dear friend Jean Ann Neal, the mother of Board Members Bart and Duff Boyd, lost her battle with ovarian cancer in 2014. Jean Ann’s case, like so many others, was not diagnosed early enough to give her the opportunity to fight the disease before it had progressed to its final, fatal stage.
Due to the lack of federal and local funding and support, awareness of gynecological cancer is not at the forefront of women’s health discussions. This continuing lack of awareness perpetuates late diagnosis and misdiagnosis of the disease and robs women of the opportunity to get diagnosed early and have a fighting chance to beat this killer.
