What you need to know about Ovarian Cancer.

 

March is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in the UK and at Your GP Circle we would like to help you understand the signs and symptoms of this serious condition. Cancer of the ovary is the 6th commonest form of cancer in women. Many women diagnosed with it are aged over 50 but younger women can also be affected.

 

Ovarian cancer can be difficult to diagnose as the symptoms are often vague and similar to other health conditions. This is often a reason why ovarian cancer is picked up at a late stage when treatment and survival is poorer. However, if detected in its earliest stage (Stage 1), ovarian cancer has a 5 year survival rate of 90%. At present, only about 17% of ovarian cancers are diagnosed at Stage 1. So it’s important to be symptoms-aware, listen to your body and seek medical advice and testing early.

 


Main symptoms of ovarian cancer:

  • Bloating
  • Abdominal pain (especially lower abdomen or pelvis)
  • Feeling full quickly
  • Needing to pass urine more frequently or urgently

 

Other symptoms can include:

  • Heartburn
  • Constipation or diarrhoea
  • Feel tired
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Abnormal vaginal bleeding

 

At Your GP Circle clinics we can offer Private Ovarian Cancer Screening tests to help you detect whether any of the above symptoms may be due to ovarian cancer.

 

 

Your Private Ovarian Cancer Screening is a quick and easy blood test, and can include the following tests:

  1. CA 125 blood test – is a tumour marker protein that can be raised in the body with the presence of ovarian cancer as well as other conditions.
  2. HE4 blood test – is a new marker that is currently not available on the NHS and is over-expressed in people with ovarian cancer.
  3. ROMA – a Risk of Ovarian Malignancy Algorithm is a marker that classifies patients as being at high or low risk for malignant disease using both the CA 125 and HE4 results.

 

If you are worried about any of the above symptoms why not book an appointment with one of our private GPs who can assess, examine and help you decide which investigations are the most appropriate next step.

Book GP Appointment Today or email us to find out more about booking a Private Ovarian Cancer Screening test directly.

 

by Dr. Neha Sahay

GP and Medical Director at Your GP Circle