Ovarian cancer ‘is often detected too late’

A medical research charity has raised concerns that ovarian cancer is claiming more lives than is necessary due to the disease being detected too late.

Peter Reynolds, chief executive of Ovarian Cancer Action, has suggested that "much more" needs to be done in order to improve survival rates for the disease, which currently stand at around 38 per cent.

This is considerably below the 80 per cent survival rate for breast cancer, with many women only being diagnosed with the condition after it has already spread beyond the ovaries.

According to Mr Reynolds, the illness is "highly treatable" if detected at stage one, but said that many of its symptoms can be easily confused for milder conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome.

He said: "GPs need all the help they can get from their patient to help them distinguish between ovarian cancer and other less serious conditions and, if necessary, organise tests."

According to Cancer Research UK statistics, an average of 6,850 new cases of ovarian cancer are diagnosed in the UK each year.