There will be a coffee and cake event in Keynes Senior Common Room at 10.30-11.30 am on 6 March 2015 in aid of ‘Target Ovarian Cancer’.

Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer in women; the good news about ovarian cancer is that if diagnosed at an early stage, the outcome is good. Ovarian Cancer can affect any woman but is most common in woman who have gone through the menopause

Ovarian Cancer is sometimes called ‘the silent killer’ because the early symptoms are often dismissed as being part of growing older or diagnosed as something else, such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Most women are not diagnosed until the disease has spread, which is why it is important that women know about the symptoms, so that they can seek advice as early as possible.

The most common symptoms of ovarian cancer are:

• Bloating that is persistent and does not come and go
• Difficulty eating and feeling full more quickly
• Abdominal or pelvic pain that is experienced most days
• Needing to wee more

Other symptoms such as urinary symptoms, changes in bowel habit, extreme fatigue or back pain may also be experienced.

If you regularly experience any of these symptoms, which are not normal for you, it is important that you see your GP. It is unlikely that your symptoms are caused by a serious problem, but it is important to be checked out. You should also mention if there are two or more cases of ovarian or breast cancer in either side of your close family, as ovarian cancer can sometimes run in families.