Every day, 20 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer across the UK and, with 1 in 52 women being diagnosed in their lifetime, it is the sixth most common cancer in women. When it is detected at an early stage, the prognosis is good. 90% of people will survive for five years or more however, this reduces significantly to less than 20% when diagnosis comes at a later stage.
There are several different types of ovarian cancer that originate from a variety of cells and tissue. Your age can impact upon your susceptibility to these different types of ovarian tumour and, although ovarian cancer is more common in women over 50, younger women can be affected too.
The good news is that ovarian cancer survival rates are improving thanks to the work of charities and an increased awareness, however late diagnosis and treatment continues to be a problem.
Symptoms will be frequent, persistent and not normally experienced by you. The main symptoms are:
• persistent bloating
• Feeling full quickly and/or loss of appetite
• Pelvic or abdominal pain
• Urinary symptoms – needing to wee more urgently or more often than usual
However other less common symptoms can include:
• Changes in bowel habit eg. diarrhoea or constipation
• Extreme fatigue
• Unexplained weight loss
• Any bleeding after the menopause should always be investigated by a GP
There is a misconception among both the public and some GPs that ovarian cancer is a ‘silent disease’ and that symptoms only present in the later stages of the cancer. This is not true, with a majority of those who have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer experiencing at least one of the main symptoms as set out above.
If you feel you have experienced a delay in your diagnosis of ovarian cancer and this has negatively impacted your prognosis, you may have a clinical negligence claim. If you would like to discuss your concerns further, please contact our experienced team at Williamsons Solicitors on 01482 323697.
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