Lorraine wants cancer awareness

FAILSWORTH-based Lorraine Broadhurst called for more support for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer

A FAILSWORTH woman with ovarian cancer has called for more support for women who are diagnosed in the UK.

Lorraine Broadhurst (46) who was diagnosed with the disease in 2011 joined MPs and healthcare professionals in the bid for more backing.

Women with ovarian cancer are left without vital support such as diagnostic tests and access to nurses, a recent study found.

Almost half of women visited their GP three times or more before being referred for ovarian cancer tests, the Pathfinder 2016 study found.

Ms Broadhurst, who campaigns for better awareness of the disease, said: "Too many women in the UK die from ovarian cancer and since my diagnosis five years ago I have lost many friends to this disease.

"I have advanced ovarian cancer and I think Pathfinder is a really important study that informs policy, tells us how we can raise awareness and hopefully will encourage more women to get an earlier diagnosis.

"Bloating was one of my main symptoms which led me to go and see my GP and it's one of the most commonly reported symptoms.

"I didn't know it was linked to ovarian cancer when I went to see my GP - I was convinced I had a problem with my digestive system."

The Pathfinder survey of women with ovarian cancer, GPs, nurses, friends and UK women in the general population revealed an "alarmingly low rate of awareness" after it found just one in five UK women were able to name bloating as a major symptom of the cancer.

Persistent and frequent symptoms include increased abdominal size, difficulty eating and pelvic pain.

Launched in parliament on November 23, the Target Ovarian Cancer-led study also found that only 46 per cent of cancer nurses think their cancer unit has enough nurses to care for all the women being treated there.

Around 15 per cent of women die within two months of being diagnosed with ovarian cancer, with only one third surviving 10 years after detection.

National ovarian charity Target Ovarian Cancer called on government and health bodies to improve services and invest to secure the futures of women with ovarian cancer.

Chief executive Annwen Jones said: "Women with ovarian cancer are being failed at diagnosis, in access to trials and effective drugs, and they lack support.

"They deserve better than this.

"We have called on more than 100 MPs and healthcare professionals to commit to invest in ovarian cancer today, to save lives tomorrow."