Around 7,400 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the UK every year - making it the sixth most common cancer in women, according to Cancer Research UK. While ovarian cancer is more common in older women over the age of 50, anyone can get the disease.
And there are certain risk factors that can increase the chances of developing it, including smoking and medical conditions such as endometriosis as well as diabetes. Experts say the biggest issue with this type of cancer is that currently more than 75 percent of cases are diagnosed at a later stage, when the cancer has already spread into the abdomen or beyond, reports The Mirror. And while treatments have significantly improved, a later diagnosis does mean that survival rates are lower.
According to gynaecologist Dr Susanna Unsworth, one of the biggest reasons for later diagnosis is that ovarian cancer does not often cause significant symptoms until it has already become quite advanced. However, she claims there are several subtle symptoms that may potentially be an early sign of ovarian cancer and she is warning women to be cautious of them.
