More than a quarter of women are forced make three or more visits to their GP before being referred for tests for ovarian cancer, according to the charity Target Ovarian Cancer.
Cancer survivor Diane Boothby has highlighted that nearly a third of women also wait for more than three months from first visiting their GP for the correct diagnosis.
“Women are still overlooked as ovarian cancer continues to devastate and claim lives,” she has argued.
“To get faster diagnoses, we need widespread awareness and more support for GPs and healthcare professionals,” she added.
The charity has called for a combination of national symptoms awareness campaigns, more training and support for GPs, and urgent investment in the clinical nurse specialist workforce.
Ovarian cancer
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“This will lead to earlier diagnosis of ovarian cancer, access for all to treatment, and widespread improvements in support, notably mental health support,” said Boothby.
The charity is also this year celebrating 10 years of its Ovarian Cancer Walk/Run, which started at the beginning of October in London and will conclude on 6 November in Belfast.
