Thousands of women’s lives could be at risk because of an ‘unacceptable’ lack of knowledge of the symptoms of ovarian cancer, a charity has warned.
Target Ovarian Cancer says as little as one in five British women know bloating is one of the most common signs of the killer disease.
In comparison, almost three quarters (71 per cent) recognise a lump in the breast or armpit can be a symptom of breast cancer.
Annwen Jones, chief executive of Target Ovarian Cancer, warned that neither figure was good enough.
A 37-year-old who was struck down with ovarian cancer said she couldn’t name ‘one symptom’ of the disease before her diagnosis. Amy Van Wyk, from Epsom in Surrey, admitted she never thought it would be ovarian cancer when she started needing to urinate more often
More than 7,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year in the UK. Figures suggest the toll is closer to the 21,000 mark in the US (stock)
She said: ‘Early diagnosis is the holy grail in ovarian cancer, and awareness campaigns have the power to save lives. It is completely unacceptable that women lack this knowledge.
‘I want every person at risk of breast and ovarian cancer to sit up and ask themselves, do I know these symptoms? The way things are at the moment is untenable.’
More than 7,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year in the UK. Figures suggest the toll is closer to the 21,000 mark in the US.
Women have a 90 per cent chance of surviving if it is caught early but just 10 per cent survive if they are diagnosed with stage-four ovarian cancer.
However, the disease is notoriously difficult to spot due to vague early symptoms which are often mistaken for mild complaints, such as bloating.
Other key early signs of ovarian cancer include a loss of appetite, pelvic or abdominal pain and needing to urinate more often than usual.
Breast cancer poses a similar problem. Between the two diseases, they kill more than 40 British women every day, according to estimates.
If women are not equipped to spot cancer symptoms they are more likely to be diagnosed late, when the cancer is harder to treat, and they are less likely to survive.
Kris Hallenga, founder of breast cancer awareness charity, CoppaFeel!, said: ‘Being aware of the signs and symptoms of any cancer and checking regularly is so important.
‘Getting to know your body and what’s normal for you will help you be more aware of any changes you see happening in your body.’
Ms Hallenga, who was diagnosed with cancer a decade ago, added: ‘If you notice something persisting, something not quite right, visit your GP.’
Each year in the UK there are more than 55,000 new cases of breast cancer. In the US, around 266,000 people are diagnosed with the disease each year.
Symptoms of breast cancer include discharge from your nipples, a rash around the nipple, or a change in shape of the breasts.
The poll of 1,000 British women comes as officials have announced they are scrapping the national Be Clear on Cancer campaign, which was proven to raise awareness.
A 37-year-old who was struck down with ovarian cancer said she couldn’t name ‘one symptom’ of the disease before her diagnosis.
Amy Van Wyk, from Epsom in Surrey, admitted she never thought it would be ovarian cancer when she started needing to urinate more often.
She said: ‘In the end I went to a new GP when I moved house, and they were the first to send me for a blood test, which led to a diagnosis of ovarian cancer.
‘It came as a shock to the whole family, and now I want more women to know the symptoms so they can see their doctor if they are worried.’