Widespread Confusion About Ovarian Cancer Signs Says UK Charity

by Barbara McPherson | June 29, 2009 at 09:59 am

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The Target Ovarian Cancer Pathfinder study being presented to the UK House of Commons points to widespread confustion about ovarian cancer signs. According to their study which included 400 physicians and over 1,000 women, the signs of majority of physicians failed to note early warning signs ofovarian cancer.

The survey found that nearly 75 per cent of GPs did not know about the ovarian cancer symptoms guidelines that the Department of Health published in February this year.

The symptoms of ovarian cancer include persistent pain in the pelvis or abdomen, difficulty eating and feeling full quickly, feeling bloated all the time and increased abdominal size, but when asked to pick out potential symptoms, only 51 per cent of the GPs surveyed correctly pointed out increased abdominal size as the most important, while fewer than 2 per cent pointed to "feeling full" or "difficulty eating".

Many women who go to their physician presenting these early symptoms are misdiagnosed or are kept waiting for tests which dramatically reduces their survival chances. According to the UK charity, Target Ovarian Cancer, the five year survival rate for women with ovarian cancer has not improved in over 30 years.

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