Trust in us for cancer advice

SPECIALIST nurses from Oldham will highlight the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer as part of a national awareness drive.

Gynaecology Macmillan Nurse Specialists at The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which includes the Royal Oldham Hospital, will hand out information and goody bags at Elk Mill retail park on Monday.

More than 7,000 women in the UK are diagnosed with ovarian cancer every year — around 19 women every day. It is most common in women over 50, where more than eight in 10 new cases are diagnosed — but it can affect all ages.

March is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. As part of the campaign, a team of specialist nurses at the trust are encouraging women to go to their GP if they notice any regular, persistent symptoms that may be associated with the disease.

During this month, Macmillan Gynaecology Nurse Specialists Julie Dale, Jean Sellars and Amanda Storey will be holding information events at the trust’s four hospitals at Oldham, Bury, Rochdale and North Manchester promoting the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer and giving advice on where people can seek more information and help.

Symptoms can include new, frequent and persistent pelvic and abdominal pain, swelling of the abdomen and bloating, difficulty eating and feeling full quickly and urinary symptoms.

Developing cancer because of an inherited faulty gene is quite rare — only between 5 and 10 per cent of cancers (less than 10 out of 100 cases) are thought to be clearly linked to an inherited faulty gene.

Women should also alert their doctor if there are two or more cases of ovarian or breast cancer in their family as ovarian cancer can sometimes run in families.

Women are advised to speak to their local GP, or they can self-refer to Oldham Cancer Family history clinic by calling 0161-909 8537.

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