Ovarian cancer survival rates worst in Northern Ireland says charity

Early diagnosis of ovarian cancer is the key to survival

Women in Northern Ireland have the worst survival rates in the UK and the worst chance of having access to a clinical trial, according to the charity Target Ovarian Cancer.

Just 30% of those diagnosed with the disease survive for five years or more.

The charity said early diagnosis of ovarian cancer is key to survival, and women need to know the symptoms in order to visit their GP with concerns.

The charity said awareness of symptoms also differed across the UK.

Ovarian cancer symptoms

• Bloating, or swelling in the abdomen

• Pelvic or abdominal pain (especially in the lower abdomen or side)

• Difficulty eating or early satiety (feeling full very quickly)

• Urinary urgency or frequency

• Loss of appetite or weight loss

• Swelling or pain in the abdomen

• Pain during sex

• Constipation

• Irregular periods

• In the advanced stages of disease, there may be loss of appetite, nausea, weight loss, tiredness and shortness of breath. It is infrequent that an obvious symptom such as bleeding from the vagina is present

Target Ovarian Cancer also warned that women with ovarian cancer were at risk of delayed diagnosis, worse treatment and even lower survival outcomes, depending on where they live.

Alexandra Holden, from Target Ovarian Cancer, said: "It really is down to who you meet, where you live, whether your clinician believes in clinical trials, whether there is a trial near you, which there might be, but there might not be.

"It is absolutely just down to chance and that's not acceptable when we're talking about people's lives."

The charity said early diagnosis was key to survival.

Women diagnosed at the earliest stage of ovarian cancer have a five-year survival rate of 92%, but the five-year survival rate in the UK is just 36%, amongst the worst in Europe.

NICE (The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) also recommend that any woman aged 50 or over who has had symptoms within the last 12 months which suggest a new diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) should have tests for ovarian cancer.

IBS rarely presents for the first time in women of this age and may be confused with ovarian cancer.

Experts say 500 lives a year could be saved through earlier diagnosis of the cancer, if the UK could match the best rates in Europe.