Don’t miss the signs – Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
Over 7300 cases of Ovarian Cancer are diagnosed in the UK every year, but do you know what signs to look out for?
Ovarian cancer is the fourth most common form of cancer death in women, after breast lung and bowel cancer. But the average GP will see only one case of ovarian cancer every five years.
Most women are diagnosed once the cancer has already spread, which makes treatment more challenging.
The current five-year survival rate for ovarian cancer is 46 per cent. If diagnosed at the earliest stage, up to 90 per cent of women would survive five years or more3. This is why early diagnosis is so important.
What to look out for
Symptoms are frequent (they usually happen more than 12 times a month) and persistent, and include:
- increased abdominal size/persistent bloating (not bloating that comes and goes)
- difficulty eating/feeling full
- pelvic or abdominal pain
- needing to wee more urgently or more often
Other symptoms can include unexpected weight loss, change in bowel habits, and extreme fatigue.
If you regularly experience any of these symptoms, and that’s not normal for you, it’s important that you see your GP. It’s unlikely that your symptoms are caused by a serious problem, but it’s important that you get checked.
For further information, visit the Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month website.
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