SYMPTOMS AND AWARENESS – TIME TO LISTEN IN!
HEALTH + WELLNESS
LISTEN IN!
OVARIAN CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
OVARIAN CANCER ISN’ T AT THE TOP OF EVERYONE’ S RADAR WHEN IT COMES TO FEMALE CANCERS, AND YET IT IS THE SIXTH MOST COMMON, WITH MORE THAN 7,000 DIAGNOSES IN THE UK EACH YEAR. ADDITIONALLY, THE UK HAS ONE OF THE LOWEST SURVIVAL RATES IN WESTERN EUROPE, WITH A WOMAN DYING FROM OVARIAN CANCER EVERY TWO HOURS, RESULTING IN 4,300 DEATHS ANNUALLY. IT’ S TIME WE ALL GOT A LITTLE MORE CLUED UP.
ANGELA’ S STORY
Every March is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and this year, research charity, Ovarian Cancer Action, has chosen the theme‘ Listen In!’ to remind us all to listen to our bodies and act upon anything we feel is unusual- the importance of which Angela Walker knows all too well.
Angela decided to visit her doctor after experiencing unusual symptoms.“ I’ ve always lead an active life, so when, aged 46, I felt lethargic to the point of exhaustion, my stomach was bloated and going to the toilet was a nightmare, I went to my GP,” she says.“ I was advised to see a dietician, but my bloods were okay and my diet was healthy, so I asked to see a specialist. Soon I was taking 48 painkillers a week to deal with the stomach pain.”
Unable to wait three months to see a consultant, Angela took matters into her own hands and made a private appointment. Unsurprisingly, the results that came back were a shock.“ I was diagnosed with a large tumour over both ovaries,” says Angela.“ I had been expecting to be told to eat more prunes!”
In spite of the diagnosis and thanks in part to her positive outlook and family’ s support, Angela is still very much here, with a smile on her face, to share her experience.“ My mother was a marvel and stepped into my shoes whenever needed,” she says.“ Also, my family and friends never failed to overwhelm me with their love and care, cards, flowers, phone calls, concern and, of course, shepherd’ s pie!”
SYMPTOMS AND AWARENESS – TIME TO LISTEN IN!
Ovarian cancer is a disease that kills more women than the other gynaecological cancers combined and Angela’ s story highlights how crucial it is to take notice of changes in your body in order to catch it early.
Ovarian Cancer Action says one of the reasons for the UK’ s poor survival rate is that the disease is often spotted too late. The charity’ s chief executive, Katherine Taylor, says:“ When women are diagnosed in the early stages of ovarian cancer they have a 90 per cent chance of surviving for more than five years, but this reduces to 22 per cent when diagnosed in the later stages.”
One obstacle to making the all-important early diagnosis is a lack of symptoms awareness. Ovarian cancer is often referred to as the silent killer due to a belief that it’ s symptomless. This, however, is not true. The four main signs of ovarian cancer are persistent stomach pain, persistent bloating or increased stomach size, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, and needing to pee more frequently.
Detecting ovarian cancer can be difficult since these symptoms are vague and easily confused with other ailments. Stomach pain and bloating, for example, can affect us all. However, the key is persistence. If the symptoms are unusual for you, they don’ t go away, and have started in the last 12 months, speak to your doctor. It is particularly important to be symptom aware as there is no routine test for the disease; ovarian cancer will not be detected by a cervical smear.
Women should feel confident about trusting their bodies and take action if they feel something is wrong. So, if you are experiencing symptoms and are worried it could be ovarian cancer, listen to your body and speak up. Book an appointment with your GP and ask for a CA125 test to rule it out.
Ovarian Cancer Action recognises that speaking up about your health can be difficult, so the charity has developed a symptoms diary to help women record their symptoms, which they can take to their GP. Search for‘ Ovarian Cancer Action’ in your phone’ s app store, or download a paper version at www. ovarian. org. uk.
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