The team, who look after women who are undergoing treatment for the illness, have all pledged to talk to 50 women about ovarian cancer and what to look out for in the hope that more cases can be caught early-on.
Ovarian cancer is when abnormal cells in the ovary begin to grow and divide in an uncontrolled way, and eventually form a growth (tumour). If not caught early cancer cells gradually grow into the surrounding tissues and may spread to other areas of the body. Around 7,300 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the UK each year.
Joanne Mann, Clinical Nurse Specialist at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals (DBTH), said: “Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month is the perfect opportunity for us ladies to unite and stand up to this disease, which is why we’ve pledged to educate 50 women on the signs and symptoms and encourage them to spread the word and pass the message onto the women in their lives.”
The sooner ovarian cancer is detected, the easier it is to treat. Recovery can be up to 90 per cent for women in the UK diagnosed at an early stage.
Sandra Nevett, Senior Sister at the Trust’s GOPD, said: “We see so many ladies come through our doors who have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer at a late stage when it is harder to treat. We really need to reverse this trend, ensuring all women know the early signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer.”
“Symptoms to look out for include an increased abdominal size or bloating, feeling full quickly, unexplained abdominal or pelvic pain that doesn’t go away, loss of appetite and unexplained weight loss. We urge all ladies who have experienced any of these symptoms for the last three weeks to speak to their GP today, chances are it will be nothing serious, but it’s always better to get it checked out.”
For more information on Ovarian Cancer visit: https://www.targetovariancancer.org.uk/