Ovarian cancer: Do you know the symptoms?

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Ovarian cancer has been hitting the headlines recently as experts say it's not being diagnosed quickly enough.

Research published in the British Medical Journal and supported by the charity Target Ovarian Cancer found that it often takes months for sufferers to be diagnosed with the disease.

They found that symptoms of the disease are often overlooked, meaning it's not diagnosed until later stages, when it's harder to treat.

How common is it?

Ovarian cancer affects almost 7,000 women a year - making it relatively low in comparison with other cancers. However, survival rates are fairly low - around 4,400 women die from it each year.

What are the symptoms?

The most common symptoms are:

persistent tummy pain
increased tummy size
difficulty eating
feeling full quickly
persistent bloating

Other symptoms include:

bowel problems (such as constipation or diarrhoea)
abnormal vaginal bleeding
weight loss
fatigue
weeing lots

What should I do if I'm worried?

As with anything, if you're worried the first thing you should do is speak to your GP. The key is to not ignore your symptoms and be persistent if you think something is wrong.

There's no routine screening for ovarian cancer so your doctor might give you an internal exam, refer you to a gynecologist or refer you for a scan if they think you need it.

Recent research says doctors don't always recognise the symptoms, so be specific if you think there's something wrong. Dr William Hamilton, who led the research, said: 'Some women have had their cancer missed and have had to return [to the doctors] - sometimes repeatedly. Ovarian cancer is not a 'silent killer' - it's just not being heard.'

If you think you have it, try filling out this ovarian cancer symptom diary from Ovarian Cancer Action and taking it to your doctor.

You can also call Ovarian Cancer Action on 020 8238 7605.

Note: Ovarian cancer is not picked up during smear tests