Reminder for women to act on symptoms which could be ovarian cancer

March is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month which aims to highlight the most common symptoms of the condition.

Signs include stomach pains and period pains which can often go unnoticed as something more serious.

Francis Gardner, a consultant gynaecologist and cancer surgeon at Spire Portsmouth Hospital, in Havant, said: ‘Far too many women are dismissing the symptoms for too long before going to see their GP.

‘Unfortunately there is not always a specific symptom and the symptoms could be subtle so it is difficult to spot.’

Cancer charities are urging women to be constantly on the lookout for possible symptoms – and to act on them sooner rather than later.

If women are diagnosed in the early stages they have more than a 90 per chance of surviving for more than five years.

But this reduces to less than 40 per cent when diagnosed in the later stages.