Ovarian Cancer Champion Information Session
On 5th March an interesting and informative online ovarian cancer information session was delivered to Cancer Champions by Liz Waters Programme Manager at ovarian cancer charity Ovacome.
Ovarian cancer affects 7,500 people, with a new diagnosis, in the UK each year and is most common in women over 50 but can also occur more rarely in younger women.
Signs and Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of Ovarian cancer are often vague and include:
- feeling bloated most of the time
- feeling full quickly
- abdominal and pelvic pain most days
- changes in urination and bowel habits
Ovacome use the B.E.A.T acronym as a reminder (see below) .
Cervical screening will NOT detect ovarian cancer.
4 in 10 people diagnosed with ovarian cancer have been admitted with an emergency presentation in the 28 days prior to their diagnosis and 70% are diagnosed at Stage 3. It is therefore important that Cancer Champions share the messages about signs and symptoms with the aim of improving early reporting, in the hope that ovarian cancer can be diagnosed and treated at an earlier stage.
Symptom Diary
As symptoms of ovarian cancer are often vague, the benefits of keeping a symptom diary to support conversations with health care professionals and to enable the person affected by the symptoms and the professional to have discussions and make informed decisions was highlighted.
Causes of ovarian cancer
Causes of ovarian cancer are often unknown although risk factors include age (being over 60 yrs old although it can affect younger people too); family history (please see details below); not having had children and being overweight.
Diagnosis
The usual tests for ovarian cancer are a CA125 blood test and an abdominal ultrasound scan.
Ovarian cancer can originate in the ovaries, fallopian tubes, stomach, colon or appendix and treatment will depend on which subtype of ovarian cancer that is diagnosed.
Genetic mutations and ovarian cancer
Almost 45 in every 100 people (almost 45%) with a change in the BRCA1 gene will develop ovarian cancer by the age of 80. This compares to almost 20 in every 100 people (almost 20%) with a change in the BRCA2 gene.
Gene mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes can also increase risk of developing prostate and pancreatic cancer. But this risk is lower than the risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer.
If you have concerns about ovarian cancer due to a family history of cancer there is more information available on the Ovacome website Ovacome : Genetic testing.
Cancer Research UK also have more general information about cancer risk and family history available on their website Family history and inherited cancer genes | Cancer Research UK
Resources
Ovacome have a range of resources available in large print and in different languages that can be obtained from your Cancer Champion Coordinator.
Many thanks to Liz for delivering this session and to all those who attended.
