What is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month?
Every March is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. It's our 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. We won’t accept that – and we know that you won’t too. Not when survival rates in other countries are so much higher. And not when we can do something about it right now. We can’t afford to stand still. We’re pressing Fast Forward on early diagnosis and we need you with us.Why do we need an awareness month?
Two thirds of those with ovarian cancer are diagnosed too late when the cancer has already spread. We're now in an awareness crisis.
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