Group aims to create awareness for endometrial cancer

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A local woman is launching a national campaign to help save women's lives.

Most everyone knows that pink is associated with breast cancer. Marcy Kurtz now wants women to think peach. She started Peach Outreach in 2012 to spread the word about endometrial cancer.

Kurtz is a two-time uterine cancer survivor who says it begins by talking about symptoms usually not discussed in polite lunchtime conversations.

"It's difficult to talk about your uterus, your ovaries, your vagina, those are difficult words to say out loud," Kurtz says.

Her first tumor was 5 pounds, and the second grew in just 60 days to the size of a walnut. But what struck Kurtz was how quickly everyone around her dismissed her symptoms.

"Everybody said no, no, no that's all from menopause, and the symptoms are similar," she said.

The symptoms include pain during or after intercourse, gas pains, bleeding and a change in bowel movements. For many women, it mimics menopausal symptoms.

University of Texas public health student Kathi Ackerman agrees with the Peach Outreach mission and says a lot of young women aren't educated about endometrial cancer.

"I'm just passionate about cancer awareness, especially something like uterine cancer, it's not very well known," Ackerman said.

Uterine cancer accounts for about 7 percent of all cancers diagnosed in women, and it's becoming more prevalent.

Tracy Rider came to a Peach Outreach fundraiser this past Sunday to celebrate her one-year-cancer-free anniversary. About 300 people gathered atop the Noel furniture parking garage in southwest Houston to do yoga together.

"I'm proud that there are people willing to do this. To literally stretch themselves in honor and dedication to making something that can be so horrendous into something that's overcome-able," Rider says.

And she credits Marcy for getting women the information that may save their lives-that's Houston Strong.