Around 7,400 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the UK each year, and over 4100 women die from ovarian cancer each year. 

This makes ovarian cancer the 6th most common cancer in women. Over 1/2 of all ovarian cancers in the UK are diagnosed in women over the age of 65. The risk factors include a history of ovarian or breast cancer in the family, inherited faulty genes, and having had breast cancer before.

Ovarian cancer is often known as a "silent killer" because 55-60% of women are diagnosed once the cancer has already spread e.g. stage 3 or 4. 

The symptoms associated with ovarian cancer are often very vague, including abdominal discomfort, bloating, reduced appetite, and symptoms similar to irritable bowel syndrome. Therefore, women often ignore the symptoms for many months or even years before presenting to a health professional, by which stage curative treatment is not possible.  

March is ovarian cancer awareness month, and so the N&N gynaecological oncology team hope to raise awareness and launch their local fundraising campaign now - allowing local people of Norfolk to support this issue locally. 

The Gynae VOiCE campaign  aims to support the department to assist local women going through or having experienced any gynaecological cancers, including Vulval, Ovarian, Cervical and Endometrial cancers.