There is an awareness crisis in ovarian cancer. With no viable screening tool, it is vital that everyone is aware of the symptoms if more are to be diagnosed early. Ovarian cancer is much more treatable when it is caught early. But right now, two thirds are diagnosed late.
New data from Target Ovarian Cancer has highlighted the severity of the situation in England. Only 21 per cent of women are able to name bloating as a symptom, 32 per cent abdominal pain, 2 per cent feeling full and just 1 percent urinary urgency. There is also confusion around cervical screening, with 40 per cent of women in England wrongly believing that a cervical screening test detects ovarian cancer.
NHS England’s inclusion of abdominal symptoms in the ‘Help Us Help You’ campaign is a positive step. But much more needs to be done to tackle this crisis.
We need to see the current diagnostic pathway for ovarian cancer shortened. Ovarian cancer is diagnosed with a CA125 blood test and an ultrasound, however these tests are carried out separately leading to a longer wait time for diagnosis.
Enough is enough – urgent action is needed, now. We the undersigned call on the government to:
- Ensure continued and sustained investment in awareness campaigns.
- Shorten the diagnostic pathway, with a CA125 blood test and ultrasound carried out at the same time.