Ovarian cancer diagnosis delays
1 in 5 women too ill to treat, says charity
NHS: Delays in diagnosis for ovarian cancer are too high, charity Target Ovarian Cancer has warned, as it emerges that one in five women are too ill to treat by the time they see a specialist.
DELAYS IN diagnosis for ovarian cancer are too high, charities have warned, as it emerges that one in five women are too ill to treat by the time they see a specialist.
Charity Target Ovarian Cancer, which has carried out the joint analysis, said this is putting women at risk of being denied a choice in their treatment. Too many, it adds, are faced with no option other than palliative or end-life care because of gaps in GP knowledge, delays in getting the right tests, and a failure among women to recognise the symptoms.
“This is heartbreaking news for women and their families who have battled for a diagnosis and may have faced delays along the way,” said Target chief executive Annwen Jones.
“To finally meet a surgeon or consultant only to discover that it’s too late for treatment is devastating, and a tragic and needless waste of a person’s life.
“We must all redouble our efforts in this area. The Government’s long-term plan for the NHS must include plans to eliminate delays and improve early diagnosis in ovarian cancer.”
The new statistics, analysed by Target Ovarian Cancer with figures from Public Health England’s National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (NCRAS) are part of the Get Data Out project aimed at making more data on less common cancers publicly available.
Emma Richman, 47, from Poole, Dorset, lost her mother Linda, 64, to ovarian cancer just six weeks after she was diagnosed, and before any significant treatment could be given.
Ms Richman said: “I remem- ber vividly the hospital appointment where my mum Linda was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
“The consultant said that it wasn’t good news, and that my mum had stage 4 ovarian cancer, incurable.
“I was so upset. My mum was really brave and kept asking questions. I stayed positive around Mum but at night I cried, worrying if it was too late.
“Devastatingly Mum passed away six weeks after this appointment, with her family by her side. She had just celebrated her 64th birthday.”
Andy Nordin, president of the British Gynaecological Cancer Society, said it had been known for more than 20 years that survival from ovarian cancer in the UK is poor in comparison with many developed countries.
“Too many women do not know they have ovarian cancer until they are admitted to hospital extremely unwell, and by this time many are not well enough to cope with our treatments,” he said. “We must all work together to diagnose this disease earlier.”
We must all work together to diagnose this disease earlier. Andy Nordin, president of the British Gynaecological Cancer Society.