Eating yogurt can delay cancer diagnosis

♦ Women are eating probiotic yogurts instead of seeking medical treatment for a key symptom of cancer, a charity has warned.

Persistent bloating is one of the signs of ovarian cancer, but a survey has found that some women would be more likely to make changes to their diet than visit their GP if they were regularly bloated.

A poll of 1,142 British women on behalf of Target Ovarian Cancer found that 50 per cent would change their diet if they were persistently bloated. This includes cutting out foods like gluten or dairy, and starting to consume probiotic yogurts or peppermint tea. Just 34 per cent said they would visit a GP if they had concerns about regular bloating.

Previous research by the charity has found that only one in five women even know that persistent bloating could be a sign of ovarian cancer. The charity said there was an “awareness gap”, and two-thirds of British sufferers were not being diagnosed until the disease has spread.

Annwen Jones, the chief executive of Target Ovarian Cancer, said: “Women should not be risking their lives because of the enduring awareness gap around the symptoms of ovarian cancer.”