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Did you know only 49 percent of women survive ovarian cancer, a statistic that has barely improved in the last 50 years?
Yes, ovarian cancer is the most lethal of all reproductive cancers and, yet, one of the most underfunded. There’s no early detection test, and given there is largely no symptoms, the majority of women are already in the advanced stages of the disease at the time of diagnosis. As such, only 29 percent of these women will live beyond five years.
Major Australian retailer Witchery, together with the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF), launched its annual White Shirt Campaign on April 16 inside the Concert Hall Northern Foyers at the Sydney Opera House. Now in its sweet 16th year, the initiative’s sole aim is to raise money to find an early detection test and advance the existing treatments on offer to fight this insidious disease. Make note to your friends at your next dinner party: ovarian cancer treatments have barely improved in 30 years, and while the disease can be chemo-resistant, promising options are emerging.
“It all starts with advocating for yourself,” OCRF CEO Robin Penty told media and women of influence at its launch event. “It’s perfectly fine to say to your GP, ‘I’d like to check my ovaries,’ because it’s the very last place, I assure you, a GP will check. If there is family history, having this test can, at least, put your mind at ease.”
“Also a reminder that a pap smear doesn’t detect ovarian cancer, it detects cervical cancer,” she adds.
According to the OCRF, symptoms—which often are vague and replicate symptoms experienced during a female’s monthly cycle—include: abdominal pain or pressure which includes gas, nausea or indigestion; sudden abdominal swelling, weight gain or bloating; persistent changes in bowel or bladder patterns; low backache or cramps; abnormal vaginal bleeding; pain during intercourse; or unexplained weight-loss.
“[Symptoms] do often mimic a woman’s monthly cycle…but in combination, it’s best to get checked,” says Penty. “Women’s pain is not normal. That is a key message to pass onto each other and the next generation.”
Witchery OCRF Cropped White Shirt, $149.95 SHOP NOW
Witchery OCRF Oversized White Shirt, $149.95 SHOP NOW
Witchery’s 2024 campaign offerings feature two new styles—the OCRF Cropped Shirt and the OCRF Oversized Shirt—designed by Witchery’s new Head of Design, Kirby Hanrahan.
“We’re excited to present two new styles this year: both crafted from a heavy-weight 100% organic cotton poplin fabrication and designed to outlast trends and seasons,” Hanrahan says. “The OCRF Cropped Shirt re-imagines the classic white shirt with a relaxed, cropped length, while the OCRF Oversized Shirt brings an effortlessly cool aesthetic with its high-low hem and oversized proportions.”
For every White Shirt sold, 100% of gross proceeds will be donated to the OCRF to fund ovarian cancer research. Witchery, via the OCRF, is proud to be the single largest donor to ovarian cancer research in Australia.
If you can, please purchase a shirt for yourself, your mum, your sister and your friends—and together, let’s be the generation who ends ovarian cancer. Below, some of the beauties in attendance at the launch.
