Ovarian Cancer Action have been a continuous driving force behind this incredibly important month. Generating fantastic support through donations from the public, as well as utilizing the power of media outlets such as BBC online and major newspapers, creates an invaluable contribution to the ongoing awareness of ovarian cancer.
Whilst there has undoubtedly been progress in treatment, and good improvements in survival rates it remains a difficult condition to diagnose at an early stage and to enable curative treatment for the majority of women.
We know that a large number of women who develop ovarian cancer have had symptoms for a long time before their diagnosis but have ignored them. Reporting these symptoms to a doctor early on should lead to a diagnosis when the tumour is less advanced and treatment is then much more effective. Recent guidelines from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommend investigation where a woman (especially if older than 50y) reports any of the following symptoms on a frequent basis – particularly more than 12 times a month:
Improving Women’s awareness of these important symptoms and encouraging them to see their doctor when they occur for is a major focus of current measures to improve outcomes for Ovarian Cancer.
Where a diagnosis has been made, it is absolutely vital that a woman’s care and surgery is undertaken by a gynaecologist with experience in management of ovarian cancer (a Gynaecological Oncologist) as undoubtedly the long term outcomes for women are much improved when they have the advantage of this special expertise.
New and exciting treatment options are emerging for women with ovarian cancer. Most recently, the drug Bevacizumab (Avastin®) has been shown to confer a significant benefit in addition to surgery and current chemotherapy treatments. Several other new treatments are showing great promise and undoubtedly further improvements in treatment results are very close.
Gynaechoice is pleased to support Ovarian Cancer Action in raising awareness of ovarian cancer.
For more information please visit the Ovarian Cancer Action website.
