More women should be tested for ovarian cancer

NHS doctors in the UK have been issued with new guidelines to help spot cases of ovarian cancer more quickly.

Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer in women, with nearly 7,000 cases diagnosed each year. Unfortunately nearly two thirds of these women will not survive more than 5 years from first diagnosis. But the earlier the diagnosis, the better the chances of surviving the disease.

Ovarian cancer can be difficult to spot, as the symptoms are often vague and easily mistaken for other less serious (and more common) conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

So NICE - the NHS body charged with recommending best practices to GPs and hospitals - has issued its first guidance for doctors and other health workers to help them diagnose ovarian cancer as soon as possible.

Silent killer

As NICE director Dr Fergus Macbeth explained: "Ovarian cancer is commonly referred to as the 'silent killer' as its symptoms are considered vague, and so can be confused with other conditions, like irritable bowel syndrome.

"This misconception can lead to it being diagnosed once the cancer is at an advanced stage. The stage of the disease at diagnosis is the most important factor in predicting survival."

Possible symptoms

NICE recommends that doctors offer a blood test - the CA125 - especially to women over 50, who regularly experience symptoms such as:

• bloating
• feeling full quickly
• lower abdominal pain
• needing to urinate urgently or frequently

Of course these symptoms are also present in a number of other conditions such as IBS. However IBS rarely occurs for the first time in women over 50 so in these cases the test should be given, says NICE.

Other symptoms of concern include constantly feeling very tired, weight loss for no obvious reason or changes in bowel habit (for example, constipation or diarrhoea).

Any women experiencing these symptoms regularly should consult their doctor.

Further information

Information for patients on these guidelines is available for download here.

This article was published on Wed 27 April 2011