March 2020 is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month, and four charities, Target Ovarian Cancer, Ovacome, The Eve Appeal and Ovarian Cancer Action have come together to raise awareness.
Unfortunately, three quarters of women are diagnosed once the cancer has already spread, while it is reported that 90% of women do not know the four main signs of ovarian cancer despite it being the biggest gynaecological killer in the UK. It is therefore incredibly important for so much more awareness to be raised about Ovarian Cancer and the key symptoms to look out for so that it can be diagnosed and treated much sooner, vastly improving prognosis.
The four symptoms of Ovarian cancer can be remembered using the acronym used in Ovacome’s B.E.A.T campaign:-
B is for bloating that is persistent and doesn’t come and go
E is for eating difficulty and feeling full more quickly
A is for abdominal and pelvic pain you feel most days
T is for toilet changes in urination or bowel habits
A striking fact highlighted by the campaign is that Ovarian cancer will not be detected by a smear test- this is used to detect cervical cancer.
More information and support can be found on the websites for the charities linked above.
We are raising awareness within our strong female led (and majority) teams within the firm and across our twitter accounts this March. Join us in raising awareness and help save lives.