“A woman with Ovarian Cancer will have 19 years stolen from her” this is according to the Charity Ovarian Cancer Action.

You may not be aware but Ovarian Cancer is one of the most common types of cancer amongst women age between 40 and 60 but it can happen to younger women too.

Awareness of this disease and the need to ensure timely treatment is absolutely vital which is why we at Ridley & Hall Solicitors are proud to help raise awareness of this disease.

So what are the symptoms of Ovarian Cancer?

• a swollen tummy
• discomfort in the tummy and the pelvic area – a need to pass water more frequently than usual – a feeling of fullness after eating

Sometimes the symptoms can be mistaken for Irritable Bowel Syndrome or a cyst so it is very important that if you have persistent symptoms you do insist on seeing your G.P. at the earliest possible opportunity.

The medical profession and cancer support workers on the whole try their best to help patients and their families deal with the cancer and the aftercare.  If the G.P. suspects Ovarian Cancer they can fast track you to the hospital for further investigation.

Blood tests can be done to check for a substance called CA125 which can be a sign of Ovarian Cancer. Other investigation can be done by a CT scan, X-rays, biopsy and laparoscopy.

Delay in diagnosing Ovarian Cancer can be fatal. A delay of even a few months can significantly impact on the success of the treatment and survival rates. Early diagnosis and treatment improves the prognosis. The added emotional and psychological impact on both the patients and their families can be devastating and is often overlooked. If the patient has a previous history or another member of the family has had a similar condition there is an added emergency to seek help at the earliest.

Help and advice –

There are some organisations and charities who do excellent work in this field.  See the Ovarian Cancer Action and the NHS websites for further information if you think there has been a delay in diagnosing the condition and you wish to speak to a specialist lawyer in complete confidence please contact us on 01484 538 421 and ask to speak to our Medial Negligence legal team.  Please also see our website for advice on time limits and funding.

To conclude, according to Cancer Research UK in 2015 there were 7,270 cases of diagnosed Ovarian Cancer. In 2014 there were 4,128 deaths from Ovarian Cancer.  Research and patient care will have improved over the years but as a society we raise awareness of Ovarian Cancer to help improve the survival rate and more  importantly to ensure those patients are supported in every way possible.