AS PART of this month’s ovarian cancer awareness month experts in Worcestershire are advising women to keep an eye out for signs of the disease.

Macmillan Cancer Support and Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust are working together to help women identify the disease early, increasing the likelihood of making a full recovery.

Macmillan cancer information and support service lead for Worcestershire Kay Tandy said more than 7,000 women every year are diagnosed with the disease every year.

“Because the symptoms of ovarian cancer can be mistaken for symptoms of other non-cancerous conditions there can be sometimes be a delay in diagnosis so it’s really important women know the signs to look out for and feel empowered to go to their doctor,” he said.

“The most common symptoms of ovarian cancer include feeling bloated, feeling full quickly, loss of appetite, pain or discomfort in the lower tummy area and/or back, changes in bowel habits, pain during sex, weight gain or weight loss and unexplained or extreme tiredness.

“These symptoms could be caused by other problems, but it is still a good idea to get them checked out by a GP.”

Ovarian cancer is the biggest gynaecological killer amongst women in the UK and three quarters of women are diagnosed once it has already spread, making treatment more difficult.

Women diagnosed in the early stages of ovarian cancer have a 90 per cent chance of surviving more than five years so early diagnosis.

For more information on ovarian cancer call 0808 808 00 00 or visit macmillan.org.uk/ovarian.

For information on cancer support services call 01905 733 837.