Early signs of ovarian cancer

Catching ovarian cancer early

TV Choice and Bella

When Roz felt a niggling pain in her lower left abdomen, she put it down to the nuisance of menopause. After all, it was the buzzword on the lips of all her friends, who like her, were in their 50s and heading towards it.

Nevertheless, the mum-of-four booked in to see her GP soon after, and was referred for an ultrasound. The scan showed complex cysts, which can be cancerous, on both her ovaries. Surgery was carried out and a biopsy confirmed she had stage 2 cancer, a type wouldn’t have caused elevated protein markers (CA125) in her blood. The ultrasound ordered by her NHS GP had been key to catching her cancer early.

Now, after undergoing chemotherapy, Roz is disease free and in remission. She’ll need regular checks and scans but otherwise, she’s in great health, and both Roz and her husband Richard have helped Target Ovarian Cancer raise awareness and funding for research and support.

I featured Roz’ story as part of an important NHS and Public Health England health campaign to help readers understand the signs and symptoms of various abdominal cancers in both TV Choice and Bella magazine. Scroll down for screenreader friendly list of symptoms, or click through the images to read Roz’s story in full.

Do you know the symptoms and signs of ovarian cancer?

Look for the signs

Cancer of the ovaries is one of the most common cancers in woman, and mainly affects women who’ve been through the menopause (usually over the age of 50), but it can sometimes affect younger women.

Common symptoms of ovarian cancer include:

Feeling constantly bloated, a swollen tummy, discomfort in your tummy or pelvic area, feeling full quickly when eating, needing to pee more often than usual. See a GP if you’ve been feeling bloated, particularly more than 12 times a month, have other symptoms of ovarian cancer that will not go away, have a family history of ovarian cancer and are worried you may be at a higher risk of getting it.

It's unlikely you have cancer, but it's best to check. A GP can do some simple tests to see if you have it.

• For more information, visit nhs.uk