As a ‘Target Ovarian Cancer’ Champion, North Wales MS Mark Isherwood has called on the Welsh Government to listen to the calls of the charity and take action to raise awareness of the symptoms of Ovarian Cancer.
Speaking in the Senedd during yesterday’s Business Statement, Mr Isherwood said symptom awareness is worryingly low in Wales and called for a Welsh Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care.
He said:
“This is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Over 300 women are diagnosed with this disease each year in Wales. Just over a third are diagnosed at an early stage, stages 1 or 2, where outcomes will be better.
“I am a Target Ovarian Cancer Champion, and, as the charity states: 'With no viable screening programme, it is vital that everyone knows the symptoms and that we address the misconceptions around ovarian cancer to ensure women feel empowered to contact their GP at the earliest opportunity'.
“There are four main symptoms: persistent bloating, pelvic and abdominal pain, feeling full and/or loss of appetite, and needing to wee more often. They will be both persistent and new symptoms.
“Despite some improvements, symptom awareness remains worryingly low in Wales, with just 27 per cent of women able to recognise bloating as a symptom and 42 per cent wrongly believing that cervical screening will detect ovarian cancer. Welsh Government must take action to improve awareness, as the charity states. I call for a statement from the Cabinet Secretary accordingly.”
In her response, the Trefnydd, Jane Hutt MS, thanked Mr Isherwood for raising the matter.
She added:
“We do now have a Women's Health Plan, which of course gives us the opportunity to look at all of those cancers that particularly affect women, and I think, as you have drawn attention to it being Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, that I will certainly raise this with the Minister for Mental Health and Well-being in terms of the Women's Health Plan, but also with the Cabinet Secretary.”