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Ovarian cancer signs
Greater awareness of early stage ovarian cancer symptoms is needed says cancer charity
Confusion surrounding the signs of early ovarian cancer affects GPs as well as their female patients, according to a poll of 400 GPs and 1,000 women carried out by Target Ovarian Cancer.
Only 30 per cent of the 6,800 British women diagnosed each year survive for a further five years, a statistic that has not improved in 30 years. This is in stark contrast to breast cancer, where the proportion of women surviving for five years after diagnosis has grown from 50 per cent to 80 per cent in the same period.
A large part of the explanation for this difference is the relatively late detection of ovarian cancer. If women are diagnosed at an early stage 90 per cent could survive, say the charity.
Worryingly, only four per cent of the women polled said they could very confidently identify a symptom of ovarian cancer, while 80 per cent of GPs surveyed believe wrongly that women with early stage ovarian cancer do not have any symptoms.
According to the research by Target Ovarian Cancer, doctors do not know about important Department of Health guidelines issued in February 2009 that spelt out the exact symptoms doctors should watch out for. Only 27 per cent of GPs in England were aware of this guidance.
Perhaps because of the similarity of certain symptoms, some women patients are thought to be suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), although women with ovarian cancer are more likely to experience frequent, sudden and persistent symptoms than women with IBS. The majority of GPs (69%) surveyed, however, seemed unaware of this.
Symptoms to look out for include increased abdominal size, abdominal and/or pelvic pain and difficulty eating or feeling full quickly.
Target Ovarian Cancer: www.targetovarian.org.uk
Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.
