Torquay mum’s question leads to ovarian cancer diagnosis

TORQUAY  mum Katie Tatnell-Moore says an offhand question at a routine doctor’s appointment may have saved her life.

The Christian College library teacher was diagnosed with stage two ovarian cancer at 39.

Five years earlier she had learned she carried a genetic mutation linked to cancer risk, but ovarian cancer was not of immediate concern as she was planning preventative surgery.

After developing fatigue, digestive issues and a loss of appetite, the mother-of-two made an appointment with her GP.

“When I started feeling tired, I didn’t really think anything of it other than maybe I had low iron again,” she said.

She asked her GP to include tumour markers in a blood test.

“It was an off-the-cuff kind of comment,” she said. “I’ve actually since learned it’s not standard surveillance.”

The results prompted further investigation and a laparoscopy confirmed Tatnell-Moore had a cancerous cyst. Within 48 hours she underwent a radical hysterectomy, followed by six cycles of chemotherapy.

She entered remission in September last year.

“There’s all these little moments in time that could have gone a different way,” she said.

“I just was so lucky that I was taken seriously right from the start and listened to because you hear these horror stories of women that get dismissed time and time again until the prognosis is pretty bad.”

February marks Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and Tatnell-Moore is sharing her story as part of a national campaign coordinated by Black Pepper and Ovarian Cancer Australia (OCA).

With no early detection test, ovarian cancer remains one of Australia’s deadliest cancers. Most women are diagnosed at advanced stages and the five-year survival rate sits at just 49 per cent.

OCA head of philanthropy and communications, Sarah Goddard, said the symptoms often reported by women are easily mistaken for other issues and many aren’t diagnosed until they’re already in stage three or four.

“It’s vital that we develop an early detection test for ovarian cancer to save lives, which is why fundraising campaigns like this are so important,” she said.

Tatnell-Moore hopes her involvement in the campaign will help raise much-needed funds for ovarian cancer support and encourage other women to take their health seriously.

“Women are really scared of this disease and rightly so,” Tatnell-Moore said. “When you’re diagnosed with a rarer cancer, you realise that there’s a lot less funding and awareness and even sometimes opportunities for support.”

Through OCA, Tatnell-Moore has received support from a specialist ovarian cancer Teal Nurse and access to free psychology sessions.

“I feel so much less alone,” she said. “Having these incredible practitioners that are so knowledgeable about what it’s like to go through the very specific challenges of ovarian cancer has been a lifeline for me.

“You don’t budget for needing treatment, scans, tests, time off work. Not having to decide between essentials and psychology [support] has been an incredible relief.”

She continues to receive support while adjusting to life after treatment.

“It’s a lot of trying to find the new normal,” she said. “Knowing that I’m still at risk for other cancers is a lot to work with.”

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