Ovarian cancer report calls for more urgent action to be taken against the killer disease

Target Ovarian Cancer’s report Pathfinder 2022 reveals that women and GPs alike have expressed concern that progress in combatting ovarian cancer and the provision of support is not good enough.

It concludes that progress is possible if urgent action is taken now.

Among its findings were that just one in five women know that bloating is one of the key symptoms of ovarian cancer; more than a quarter of women make three or more visits to their GP before being referred for tests and nearly a third wait over three months from first visiting their GP for the correct diagnosis. A further 14 per cent of women reported that they were not told their diagnosis in private.

The report, which surveyed GPs, women with a diagnosis of ovarian cancer, and women from the general public across the UK, shows that ultimately there remains an inherent lack of progress in diagnosis, awareness, treatment and support and that more needs to be done.

Gosport resident Claire McKay backs the campaign for urgent action to be taken on ovarian cancer.

Claire, 39, was diagnosed with stage one ovarian cancer at the age of 32. She had developed a nagging pain in her side, new bloating and was generally feeling unwell. As someone with type 1 diabetes she was good at recognising when something wasn't right with her body. Just four months after visiting her GP she was on an operating table.

When she woke up Claire's surgeon delivered the devastating news that whilst her cancer had indeed been stage I, it had adhered to both her ovary and uterus and could not be removed without the risk of the tumour splitting. This meant that Claire had undergone a radical hysterectomy. Claire describes the experience of hearing she had lost her fertility and being faced with early onset menopause.

Claire’s diagnosis has allowed her to forge a new future for herself and she tries to live in the moment. In April 2019 she completed a 15,000ft skydive alongside her diabetic consultant to raise money for Target Ovarian Cancer.

She said: ‘My diagnosis has taught me the importance of being aware of your own body. An ovarian cancer diagnosis isn’t necessarily a death sentence. If you catch this early, there are many positive outcomes. If sharing my story can help just one person to spot the symptoms or get an earlier diagnosis, I’m happy.’

Target Ovarian Cancer is calling for a combination of national symptoms awareness campaigns and more training and support for GPs, which will lead to earlier diagnosis of ovarian cancer, access for all to treatment, widespread improvements in support, notably mental health support, as well as an urgent investment in the Clinical Nurse Specialist workforce.

Chief executive of the charity Annwen Jones said: ‘While there has been some improvement in recent years, our report clearly shows that we now need action taken to secure progress which is faster, further and fairer. We are hopeful that with the right targeted investment and backing from the government we can achieve this together, prolonging and saving lives.’