6 things every woman should know about ovarian cancer
About half of all women in the UK live for more than five years after diagnosis
UK researchers reported promising results from giving two chemotherapy drugs, vistusertib and paclitaxel, in tandem for late stage cancers, observing that the cocktail appears to shrink tumours and halt their growth completely.
The breakthrough has been hailed as “exciting” by researchers from the Institute of Cancer Research in London and the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, as it could add months of life for the 7,000 women who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year.
Ovarian cancer has the lowest survival rate of all female cancers, and according to the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition, global diagnoses will rise by 55% in the next two decades.
Even more worryingly, symptoms can be hard to spot, making a diagnosis difficult.
But what exactly is ovarian cancer, what are the signs to look out for and who’s most at risk? Here are six important things that every woman should know about the disease.
1. It’s not a ‘silent’ killer
Ovarian cancer is often falsely dubbed ‘the silent killer’ as people often believe it has no symptoms. The reality is that many women have been living with symptoms long before they go to the doctor and get a diagnosis.
2. The symptoms are subtle
That being said, the symptoms of ovarian cancer are often less obvious than breast cancer. The four most common signs are persistent stomach pain, persistent bloating or increased stomach size, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly and needing to wee more frequently.
As everyone has likely experienced these symptoms at some point or another, it can be difficult to tell if it’s a sign of ovarian cancer. The key is in persistence and noticing when the symptoms don’t go away.
Remember – there is no NHS screening programme that detects ovarian cancer! So look out for the symptoms, and see your GP if anything doesn’t seem right. pic.twitter.com/HSEObC3QCl
— TargetOvarianCancer (@TargetOvarian) August 17, 2018
3. It affects young women too
Post-menopausal women who haven’t had any children, or are infertile, are most at risk of developing the disease, but it is also possible for younger women to develop it . Ovarian Cancer Action reports that while some 80% of the women diagnosed each year are 50 plus, that leaves one in five who are younger.
4. A cervical smear won’t detect it
According to Ovarian Cancer Action, one in four women mistakenly think that a cervical smear can detect ovarian cancer. The truth is that there is no test for ovarian cancer, which is why women need to be diligent about catching the symptoms early. If you’re concerned, downloading a symptom tracker from the app store can help you to record how often you’re urinating, how often you experience stomach pain and bloating, and any other changes that might be important for your doctor to know.
5. It’s not the same as cervical cancer
There are lots of different gynaecological cancers, including cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal and vulvar. Each of these cancers has different signs and symptoms.
6. It’s more common than you think
According to Cancer Research UK, each year in the UK there are approximately 7,400 cases of ovarian cancer – this is roughly 142 women each week. As most women are diagnosed once the cancer has already spread, the current five-year survival rate for ovarian cancer is 46%. If you suspect you’re displaying the symptoms of ovarian cancer, speak to your GP.
The Press Association
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