Dame Caroline Spelman MP has shown her support for women with ovarian cancer across Coventry and Solihull by joining Target Ovarian Cancer at the launch of their state-of-the-nation Pathfinder study on 25 October in parliament.
Women with ovarian cancer are left stranded without vital support at every turn, from diagnostic tests to access to nurses, according to Pathfinder.
Target Ovarian Cancer’s Pathfinder research found that:
- Just one in five UK women (20 per cent) could name bloating as a major symptom of ovarian cancer, an alarmingly low rate of awareness.
- Almost half of women (41 per cent) visited their GP three times or more before being referred for ovarian cancer tests, risking a delayed diagnosis.
- Less than half of cancer nurses (46 per cent) think that their cancer unit has enough nurses to care for all the women being treated there.
Ovarian cancer is the most deadly gynaecological cancer, killing more women every year than all other gynaecological cancers combined. Every year 7,300 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the UK, and 4,100 women die from the disease.
Target Ovarian Cancer is launching a new campaign – TAKE OVAR – that aims to accelerate change and transform the futures of more than 25,000 women in the UK who are living with ovarian cancer – and thousands more who are yet to be diagnosed.
Dame Caroline said: “I’m really pleased to be at Target Ovarian Cancer’s Pathfinder event. Together we can improve healthcare so that all UK women with ovarian cancer get the care, support and new treatments they need, so that women’s lives are improved, now and in future.”
Annwen Jones, Target Ovarian Cancer Chief Executive, said: “There is a chronic lack of awareness and funding for ovarian cancer, and that is why we are taking over the Houses of Parliament today. We urgently need a national awareness programme for ovarian cancer and investment in research into new treatments. We have seen enormous advances in other cancers, but ovarian cancer is lagging behind. With investment, we know we could see similar progress. We must act now to transform the lives of women with ovarian cancer, before it’s too late. It’s time to take over.”