FOUR in five Scotswomen do not know the warning signs of a killer cancer, research shows.
Every year 360 women in Scotland die from ovarian cancer, with 600 new cases diagnosed annually.
However, research by the Target Ovarian Cancer campaign found “alarmingly low” awareness of the symptoms of the disease, which claims more lives each year than all other gynaecological cancers.
Fewer than 20 per cent of those surveyed could name bloating as a major symptom of ovarian cancer. Knowledge of all four main warning signs – abdominal bloating, tummy pain, difficulty eating or feeling full and needing to urinate more often or urgently – is similarly low, while one in three women wrongly assumes that cervical screening also detects ovarian cancer.
Early diagnosis can also be difficult, with one in three Scots patients visiting their GP three times or more before being referred for ovarian cancer tests.
The campaign says knowing the signs could save lives.
Rebecca Rennison, Target Ovarian Cancer’s director of public affairs, said: “Scotland has led the way in ovarian cancer, having improved how women are diagnosed and access to new treatments.
“More remains to be done. We need to see better awareness of the symptoms, and an improvement in the worrying trend that sees many women visit their GP multiple times before being sent for ovarian cancer tests. Women need the right support, from detection through diagnosis to treatment of ovarian cancer.”
Dr Ros Glasspool, consultant Medical Oncologist at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, said the results help experts see where to focus to ensure “more women in Scotland can be diagnosed earlier and live well for longer”.
Christine Mitchell, from Alness, was diagnosed with early stage ovarian cancer in 2013. She said: “I want to make sure I am the rule, not the exception – women in Scotland deserve better.
"I would like to see better awareness of ovarian cancer and the symptoms among GPs and women alike.”
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