Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
March is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Starr Thompson in our clinical negligence team, takes us through the symptoms of ovarian cancer, diagnosis and treatment of the cancer.
Around 7,500 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the UK each year. This makes it the 6th most common cancer in women and is the leading cause of death than any other gynaecological cancer. It can affect women of all ages and symptoms are often mistaken for less serious conditions like IBS.
There is no national screening programme in the UK for ovarian cancer because there isn’t a test that reliably detects it at an early stage. It is therefore important to raise awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer to enable earlier diagnosis and treatment for women who have or are at high risk of getting ovarian cancer.
What is ovarian cancer?
The ovaries form part of the female reproductive system.
Ovarian cancer is when abnormal cells in the ovary begin to grow and divide in an uncontrolled way. They eventually form a growth (tumour). If not detected early, cancer cells gradually grow into the surrounding tissues and may spread to other areas of the body.
Your risk of developing ovarian cancer increases as you get older. The risk is greatest in those aged between 75 and 79.
Symptoms of ovarian cancer
Most women experience symptoms months before contacting their health provider.
The 4 main symptoms include:
- Needing to wee more frequently or suddenly than usual.
- Feeling full quickly or loss of appetite.
- Persistent swelling or bloating of your stomach.
- Persistent stomach pain.
You should not delay seeing your GP if you have any of the possible signs or symptoms of cancer and are worried, to rule out anything serious.
Diagnosis
Your GP should arrange for you to see a specialist if you have symptoms that could be due to ovarian cancer.
Your GP should arrange a blood test and possibly an ultrasound scan if you have any of the above persistent symptoms. Your GP should especially refer you if you are aged 50 or over and have had the above symptoms more than 12 times a month.
There are various tests which may be undertaken to determine the cause of your symptoms, make a diagnosis or to find out the size of the cancer and whether it has spread.
Treatment
Treatment depends on the location of the ovarian cancer, size, type and whether it has spread anywhere else in your body. The main treatments for ovarian cancer are surgery and chemotherapy.
Delayed diagnosis
The earlier ovarian cancer is diagnosed the better the chance of successful treatment and outcome.
A woman with an early-stage diagnosis of ovarian cancer has an over 90% chance of survival. Yet one in five women are too ill to receive any treatment by the time they finally receive a diagnosis, and a third of women die within a year of their diagnosis.
If you or a loved one has been affected by a delay in diagnosis of ovarian or gynaecological cancer, you could be entitled to bring a claim for clinical negligence.
Case studies
At Morrish Solicitors we have considerable experience dealing with clinical negligence claims arising from a delay in diagnosis of cancer.
Our clinical negligence team successfully secured £250,000 for a Widower following a failure to diagnose cervical cancer. Read more here.
In addition, we have secured £750,000 for a client following a delay in diagnosis of cervical cancer.
Contact our clinical negligence team if you would like to discuss a delayed cancer diagnosis. We will handle your case sensitively whilst supporting you through the entire process.
We offer a free initial consultation to discuss any potential claim you feel you may have. Call us on 033 3344 9613 or email [email protected].
Author: Starr Thompson, clinical negligence.
