Cancer survivor wants cash to help others beat the disease
A WOMAN who has fought off ovarian cancer has joined calls for more support for women with the disease.
Esther Hamer, 40, was diagnosed in 2012 but following chemotherapy treatment at the Christie went into remission.
She has become a campaigner to raise awareness of the disease and has now joined forces with MPs and healthcare professionals.
Together they are demanding more help for women with ovarian cancer in response to findings by a study from charity Target Ovarian Cancer.
Its Pathfinder 2016 survey found low awareness of the diseases symptoms, more than 40 per cent of women visited their GP three times before being referred for a test and 46 per cent of cancer nurses thought their unit did not have enough staff.
Esther is among voices calling for the government to improve investment and services.
She said: “Pathfinder 2016 is really important – the more awareness raised about ovarian cancer, the better.
“Raising awareness of the symptoms is so vital, I visited my doctor’s multiple times over a 12-month period with a bloated tummy, and as I was only 37 they attributed my symptoms to various other problems.
“I would tell anyone who is experiencing anything that is unusual to trust their instincts, they know their own body and do not hesitate to get checked out.
“It took me 12 months of pursuing for me and by the time I was diagnosed the cancer was at an advanced stage. It’s so important all women living with ovarian cancer feel counted.”
Annwen Jones, from Target Ovarian Cancer, added: “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 call for investment in ovarian cancer today, to save lives tomorrow.”
Symptoms of the disease include increased abdominal size/bloating, difficulty eating, pelvic or abdominal pain and needing to wee more urgently and often. Other symptoms can include unexpected weight loss, change in bowel habits, and extreme fatigue.