Ovarian cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the UK, with about 7,500 cases diagnosed each year. Sadly, more than 75 per cent of these cases are diagnosed at stage three or later, when the cancer has already spread into the abdomen or beyond, earning the disease the nickname “the silent killer”.
Now a new study has stated that a quarter of women with the most deadly form of ovarian cancer – known as serous, meaning fast spreading – could have received an earlier diagnosis if they were tested and fast-tracked for specialist care.
The analysis involved researchers looking at data from the Refining Ovarian Cancer Test accuracy Scores (ROCkeTS) study, which involved 24 hospitals across the UK and looked at 1,741 patients.
Researchers found that of those who had their ovarian cancer test fast-tracked, 119 were diagnosed with high grade serous ovarian cancer, one of the more deadly variations of the disease, straightaway.
More than a quarter (25.2%) of patients included in the study had been diagnosed with stage one or two ovarian cancer and, of these women, 93% went on to survive for more than five years.
The study showed that the survival rates for patients who were diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer were only 13 per cent but those patients whose cancer had already spread before diagnosis required “relatively straightforward” surgery to remove it.
Professor Sudha Sundar, gynaecological cancer surgeon and a clinical academic at the University of Birmingham, said that it was uncertain whether this symptom-triggered testing was useful for patients.
She said: “We know this particular cancer, which is the most common form of ovarian cancer, tends to spread across the tummy.
“A quarter of women were stage one, which is fantastic but, even when it had spread, what we’ve been able to show is that the spread was moderate in the majority of women.”
She added: “The implication of that is that they can have relatively straightforward surgery to remove the cancer. Potentially, we are not just able to identify women with cancer, but pick up ovarian cancer at a stage where it makes a very big difference for the individual.”
What is ovarian cancer?
Ovarian cancer is the sixth-most common cancer in women in the UK. The disease occurs when abnormal cells in the ovary begin to grow and divide in an uncontrolled way, and eventually form a tumour. The ovaries are the small organs that store the eggs needed to create an embryo.
Only 20 per cent of ovarian cancers are diagnosed in the early stages, which further stresses the importance of spotting the early warning signs of the disease.
Who is at risk of ovarian cancer?
As with most other cancers, age is one of the bigger risk factors, with the disease becoming more common as you age.
Experts have warned the risk increases steeply from around 45 years old and is far greater among those aged between 75 and 79.
Smoking and a history of the disease in your family are other big risk factors.
Symptoms of ovarian cancer
“Symptoms of ovarian cancer can be hard to tell apart from other common health issues – like irritable bowel syndrome,” said Stephanie Sinclair, science communications manager at Worldwide Cancer Research
She added that among its symptoms are feeling bloated, feeling full after eating, tenderness in the abdomen, no appetite, urgent need to pee, or pain in the pelvis that doesn’t go away.
“Having these symptoms does not mean that a person has ovarian cancer but, if they are experienced frequently, they should always be checked by a GP,” she added.
Other common signs include:
- Pain in your stomach (abdomen) or lower part of your abdomen that doesn’t go away
- Swollen stomach (abdomen) or bloating
- Pain in your abdomen
- Unexplained tiredness
- Unexplained weight loss
Changes noticeable when you go to the lavatory or symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, especially if this starts after the age of 50, are other possible early indications of the disease.
