OVARIAN CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
Bringing ovarian cancer into the national spotlight in February
What is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month?
Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month (OCAM) takes place throughout the month of February in Australia annually. It is an important advocacy and awareness month shining a spotlight on ovarian cancer and broadening the community’s knowledge of this poorly understood disease.
Why is OCAM important?
For too long ovarian cancer has been overlooked and underfunded. Ovarian cancer has been left behind – it needs urgent attention and action to improve outcomes. OCAM gives an opportunity for the ovarian cancer community to put a spotlight on this insidious disease that is often labelled as the ‘silent killer’. Against an often silent and insidious disease, our voices are powerful
The Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation is motivated to use OCAM as a platform to catalyse change – accelerate progress by increasing awareness, advocate for greater research investment and equity, and take strong collective action with the community and peer organisations.
Key facts about ovarian cancer
- Symptoms for ovarian cancer can be vague and/or attributed to other health conditions, such as menopause or IBS. Common symptoms include unusual bloating, fatigue, lower back pain, irregular menstrual bleeding or changes in bowel or bladder patterns.
- Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynaecological cancer and the most lethal reproductive cancer (including male cancers), due to a five-year survival rate that has barely improved in decades, languishing at under 50 per cent.
- Most diagnoses – above 70 per cent – are made in the advanced stages when the cancer has already spread and the chance of surviving five years plummets to 29 per cent.
- The disease is chronically underfunded – the federal government commits less than 1 per cent of all medical research funding to ovarian cancer research.
- Five new cases of ovarian cancer are diagnosed daily in Australia – close to 2000 per year. If nothing changes, ovarian cancer incidence is set to rise by 66% in our region over the next 25 years.
What the OCRF is doing this OCAM
In 2026, the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation is collaborating with media, the community, and peer organisations to reach greater audiences in the Australian public and demonstrate a shared determination for better outcomes for everyone affected by ovarian cancer.
Continuing collaborative work with OCA and ANZGOG
For the first time in February 2024, leading sector peer organisations Ovarian Cancer Australia (OCA) and Australia New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group (ANZGOG) along with OCRF made a collaborative statement of intent. An intention to continue to work together to ensure the greatest impact is made across research and care.
In 2026, all three organisations are continuing important collaborative work, most notably on the development of the Gynaecological Cancer Transformation Initiative (GCTI), an evidence based national program with the goal to deliver equitable access to world-class healthcare, improving quality of life and survival rates for all women with a gynaecological cancer.
The Initiative proposal has been shared with all political parties for funding consideration, receiving an encouraging reception. We hope to receive a formal response by mid-2026.
Combatting misinformation with our All Over It campaign
At a time when misinformation travels faster than facts, the OCRF is taking a stand. Launched in January 2026, and running throughout OCAM, All Over It is our new public education and awareness campaign designed to help more Australians get smart, curious and confident about what’s real in medical research, and what’s not.
New articles and socials posts will be shared throughout OCAM, with messages reaching a wider audience through media partnerships with Mamamia. Article topics cover how to sort fact from fiction in the era of misinformation, understanding the research pipeline, to the challenges surrounding early detection and more.
Supporting the community with social media advocacy tools
Giving the ovarian cancer community the right resources, tools and impetus to advocate and raise awareness is integral to OCAM. Sharing the facts and statistics for ovarian cancer to personal networks expands knowledge and encourages important conversations.
Download and share our social tiles below
View our collection of downloadable social tiles that can be uploaded to your personal social media account. Make sure to post the set in their entirety to share the story fully!
Also, if you need help crafting a social post caption, find a draft option for your post below that you can personalise as you see fit. OCAM is all about human connection and collective action, we encourage you to share your own thoughts and personal story if you feel comfortable!
Draft social media caption:
February is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month (OCAM), a month to raise awareness, advocate and put a spotlight the most lethal women’s cancer in Australia.
For too long, ovarian cancer has been overlooked and underfunded. Urgent attention and action are needed to improve survival rates that have barely improved in decades. Today, the five-year survival rate for ovarian cancer is less than 50 per cent.
Please join the @OCRF and I, to put a spotlight on this insidious disease. Read, learn, and share information about ovarian cancer this February and help change the future for generations of women and girls.
Together, we can overcome ovarian cancer.
Visit @OCRF for more information.
#OCAM2026 #StrongerTogether
What you can do this OCAM
Read, learn, share and spread information, this OCAM.
- Read up on the latest developments across research and advocacy via the OCRF news pages.
- Learn the common symptoms and signs, risks and preventative measures currently known for ovarian cancer.
- Spread the facts and stats to your networks via social media, community notice boards, emails and more. Bust common misconceptions and myths about ovarian cancer.
- Share your personal story if you have been affected by ovarian cancer. Opening up about a personal experience drives human and emotional connection to those listening.
Against an often silent and insidious disease, our voices are powerful. Together we are stronger – together we will overcome ovarian cancer.
Support medical research today
Investing in high potential research is the key to improving outcomes.
Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month is the perfect time to host a fundraising event in your workplace, social network or community or to make a tax-deductible donation that will support medical ovarian cancer research projects across Australia.
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