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Doctor's hunch saved my life

(Daily Express 08/09/2009)

Rocky is Jewish and lives in an area of north London where there is a large Jewish population. Jewish women carry a gene that means they are more likely to develop ovarian cancer, so the GP decided to test all her female patients aged over 40. Although not considered sufficiently reliable to be used for a national screening programme, the test - searching for a protein called CA125 that is produced by some ovarian cancers - probably saved Rocky's life.

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Ovarian cancer 'is being missed'

(BBC 25/08/2009)

Writing in the BMJ, Bristol researchers said ovarian cancer was not a "silent killer" as it is frequently dubbed, but was associated with specific symptoms. They looked at the case notes of more than 200 women with a cancer diagnosis. Ovarian cancer is one of the less common cancers but survival rates are relatively low. It is now recommended that abnormal vaginal bleeding and "palpable masses" be urgently investigated. There are 7 symptoms to look out for.

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Rogue DNA is linked to ovarian cancer

(The Scotsman 03/08/2009)

Scientists have discovered a patch of DNA containing a change in the genetic code that can increase the lifetime risk of ovarian cancer by 40 per cent. It is hoped the finding will lead to tests to identify women at highest risk of the disease who can be closely monitored. It should help speed up diagnosis and lead to earlier treatment of the cancer, increasing the chances of survival. About 6,800 cases of ovarian cancer are diagnosed in the UK each year.

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Ovary cancer signs 'confusion'

(BBC 29/06/2009)

There is "widespread confusion" amongst doctors and women about ovarian cancer. Target Ovarian Cancer surveyed 400 GPs and found 80% wrongly thought women with early stage disease had no signs, and of 1,000 women polled, only 4% said they could "confidently identify" symptoms of the disease.

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Eight-year-old 'has ovary cancer'

(BBC 21/05/2009)

Sophie Fry, from Driffield, East Yorkshire was diagnosed with the germ cell cancer earlier this year and had surgery to remove one of her ovaries. She is still undergoing treatment - although doctors at St James' Hospital, Leeds say she is expected to make a full recovery. Germ cell cancers are different to adult ovarian cancers, which most commonly affect women aged over 50. Sophie had been suffering from severe abdominal pains.

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Ovarian cancer: What women should know

(The Independent 24/03/2009)

The first I heard about the cancer was when I came round from the general anasthetic after my caesarean. I should have suspected something was wrong when I heard the doctor say "there's something solid inside", with a hint of panic. But through the haze of hormones, shock and painkillers, it was only when I saw my husband in tears that I forced myself to take things seriously.

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Ovarian cancer screening promise

(BBC 11/03/2009)

Screening might help to detect ovarian cancer before symptoms develop, early results from a UK trial suggest. Some 83% of cancers were picked up, with almost half the tumours discovered at an early stage. The disease is 90% curable when treated early, but because symptoms do not emerge until later it is often not detected until it is more advanced. However, the Lancet Oncology study stresses it is too early to determine whether screening will save lives.

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Cancer missed 20 times: Sue's horrifying story shows how bad doctors STILL are at spotting the silent killer

(Daily Mail 25/02/2009)

Around one-third of women with ovarian cancer arrive at the oncologist with a mass that would have been clearly evident had they undergone a pelvic examination, according to the charity charity Target Ovarian Cancer. 'Some were assured their symptoms were down to irritable bowel syndrome, age, depression or HRT.' Ovarian cancer, the fourth most common cancer in women, has one of the worst survival rates of any cancer and is dubbed the silent killer because of the difficulty in distinguishing the symptoms from other conditions

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Obesity 'increases the risk of ovarian cancer in older women by 80%'

(Daily Mail 05/01/2009)

Researchers from the U.S. National Cancer Institute studied almost 95,000 women over a period of 7 years. A total of 303 developed ovarian cancer. Among those who had never taken hormones after the menopause, obesity increased the risk of the disease by almost 80%. No link between body weight and ovarian cancer was evident among women who had been on HRT.

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