Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

News - 11 March 2024

Every March is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, a chance to put ovarian cancer in the spotlight.

In the UK, over 7,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer every year. Two thirds of women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer too late when the cancer is harder to treat. And every day, 11 women die.

What are the symptoms of ovarian cancer?

  • Persistent bloating (not bloating that comes and goes)
  • Feeling full quickly and/or loss of appetite
  • Pelvic or abdominal pain (that's from your tummy to the top of your thighs)
  • Urinary symptoms (needing to wee more urgently or more often than usual)

Occasionally there can be other symptoms:

  • Changes in bowel habit (e.g. diarrhoea or constipation)
  • Extreme fatigue (feeling very tired)
  • Unplanned weight loss
  • Any unusual bleeding from the vagina before or after the menopause should always be investigated by a GP.

Symptoms will be:

  • New – they're not normal for you  
  • Frequent – they usually happen more than 12 times a month
  • Persistent – they don't go away

Worried about your symptoms?

If you regularly experience any one or more of these symptoms, which aren't normal for you, it's important that you contact your GP. It's unlikely that your symptoms are caused by a serious problem but it's important to get checked out, even if they're mild. Your GP should order a CA125 blood test. They may also order ultrasound scans of your ovaries and tummy.

Target Ovarian Cancer Specialist Nurse Support line:

Information, support or someone to talk to that understands. 

020 7923 5475 

Support line is open Monday-Friday 9-5pm. Closed on bank holidays.

support@targetovariancancer.org.uk

contact form  

Aim to reply to emails and contact forms within 2 working days, but will often be in contact sooner. 

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