Yesterday (Wednesday 1 March) MPs were given the chance to dress as ‘Teal Heroes’ to raise awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer at a special event hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Ovarian Cancer and Target Ovarian Cancer.
Teal is the colour for ovarian cancer awareness, which continues to be low in the UK. Although persistent bloating is one of the key symptoms of the disease, a new survey from Target Ovarian Cancer, which provides the secretariat for the APPG, shows that only one in three (34%) women in the UK would contact their GP if they started to feel bloated regularly.
Commenting, Mims said “11 women die every day in the UK from ovarian cancer, and yet awareness of its key symptoms remains low. I was delighted to take part in this year’s Teal Heroes event with Target Ovarian Cancer to pledge my support and help raise awareness. We must act now to ensure that everyone knows what to look out for, to make a lasting change for everyone affected by ovarian cancer.”
The symptoms of ovarian cancer are:
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Persistent bloating (not bloating that comes and goes)
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Feeling full quickly and/or loss of appetite
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Pelvic or abdominal pain (that's from your tummy to the top of your thighs)
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Urinary symptoms (needing to wee more urgently or more often than usual)
Occasionally there can be other symptoms:
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Changes in bowel habit (e.g. diarrhoea or constipation)
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Extreme fatigue (feeling very tired)
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Unplanned weight loss
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Any unusual bleeding from the vagina before or after the menopause should always be investigated by a GP.
Symptoms will be:
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New – they're not normal for you
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Frequent – they usually happen more than 12 times a month
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Persistent – they don't go away
If you regularly experience any one or more of these symptoms, which aren't normal for you, it's important that you contact your GP.
To find out more, visit the Target Ovarian Cancer website: targetovariancancer.org.uk
