Did you know that more Irish women die from ovarian cancer than any other European country? I didn’t.
One of the main reasons for this is because symptoms can be vague, and the majority of women (75%) are diagnosed with late-stage disease.
Neither of us want to be part of these statistics but symptoms can be vague and similar to other conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome.
Contact your GP if you have any of these BEAT symptoms for three weeks or more as these may be warning signs of ovarian cancer:
· B loating that is persistent and doesn’t come and go
· E ating less and feeling full more quickly
· A bdominal and pelvic pain you feel most days
· T oilet changes in urination or bowel habits
https://www.rte.ie/player/series/today/SI0000000197?epguid=IH000403530
Dr Doireann O’Leary (@WorldOvarianCancerDay @RTEToday) talks about the importance of being symptom aware and shares the meaning of BEAT.
She also talks about the importance of ‘the big T’, ie getting Treatment early. If someone has these symptoms it likely is something less serious than Ovarian Cancer but the most important thing is not to brush it off, do go to your GP and get checked and try to get in to the habit of doing that. Building this habit greatly increases the chances of early diagnosis.
Lynch Syndrome Ireland 