Two local fundraising walks will be held Sunday, Sept. 14 to benefit women with ovarian cancer and people with food allergies.

The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition and PureOlogy Walk to Break the Silence on Ovarian Cancer will begin at 10 a.m. at the North Park Boathouse, with registration beginning at 8 a.m. Walkers can choose to walk either one mile or five miles. The event benefits the coalition's Pittsburgh chapter.

The two-mile Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network's Walk for Food Allergy: Moving Toward a Cure will begin at 1 p.m. at Hartwood Acres, with registration at noon.

Both walks are among many being held for those causes in communities around the nation.

There are no early detection tests for ovarian cancer; a Pap smear does not screen for that disease but only for cervical cancer. About 20,000 American women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2008 and about 15,000 women will die from the disease, according to the cancer coalition.

More than 70 percent of cases are diagnosed at a late stage.

Signs of the disease can include bloating, pelvic and abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, and urgency to urinate or frequent urination. Women who experience these symptoms for two or more weeks should see their gynecologist, according to the coalition. Factors that increase risk for the disease include age; prior or family history of ovarian, breast or colon cancer; and never having been pregnant or given birth to a child.

More than 12 million Americans have food allergies, according to the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network. The immune system incorrectly identifies a food protein as a threat and attempts to protect the body by releasing chemicals into the blood, resulting in an allergic reaction. Symptoms can include itching, hives, a sensation of warmth, wheezing, vomiting, diarrhea, a drop in blood pressure or loss of consciousness. In some cases, food allergy can cause anaphylaxis, a serious allergic reaction that may cause death.

Milk, eggs, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish, peanuts, and tree nuts such as almonds, cashews, pecans, pistachios or walnuts are responsible for most food-related allergic reactions. While some people outgrow their food allergies, there is no cure, and strict avoidance of the food allergen is the only known way to prevent a reaction.

The ovarian cancer event was formerly called the Walk for the Whisper because the disease is hard to detect, said Leslie Hoffman, coordinator for the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition's Pittsburgh chapter. The name was changed, she said, to emphasize the need for women to talk to their doctors as a way of increasing early diagnosis and treatment.

Besides registering at the event, prospective walkers can sign up online until Sept. 7 by going to www.active.com, then entering the search term "Pittsburgh Break the Silence." The cost of the walk is $25 for adults, $15 for survivors and $10 for children under 18.

Registration events also will be held this Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Monroeville Mall, Ross Park Mall, the Mall at Robinson and South Hills Village.

Team fundraising is encouraged and registration includes a free T-shirt and PureOlogy gift travel pack.

Registration by mail also is available. For more information, visit the Web site or call 412-661-1095.

Participation in the food allergy walk is free, though team fundraising is encouraged. Children receive a free T-shirt and other incentive prizes are available. To sign up or for more information, visit www.foodallergywalk.org.

Additional information also is available by calling 412-735-1185.

News of other upcoming fundraising walks can usually be found in the weekly Health Calendar.