The analysis by policy research centre Future Health, using data from the National Ovarian Cancer Audit, examined ovarian cancer care across England
Around 40% of women with ovarian cancer were only diagnosed after an emergency admission to hospital, a damning report revealed.
It came with survival rates for UK patients lagging behind those in the rest of Europe, with cases often caught too late and 30% dying within a year of starting treatment. The research found over 70% of women were not diagnosed until the disease was advanced, raising fresh fears about delays in NHS cancer care.
The hard-hitting report called for urgent action to stop women slipping through the net, with wide variations in treatment and survival depending on where patients live.
The analysis by policy research centre Future Health, using data from the National Ovarian Cancer Audit, examined ovarian cancer care across England. It showed every year around 5,700 women were diagnosed but the majority were only identified after the disease spread.
Experts warned of a “postcode lottery” in care, with some hospitals performing far better than others.
In some regions, the proportion of women diagnosed after an emergency admission was over 20 percentage points higher than elsewhere. There was a near 19-point gap in one-year survival rates between NHS trusts.
The government’s National Cancer Plan for England aims for 75% of cancer patients to survive for five years or more. But experts say ovarian cancer risks being left behind unless it is prioritised. Report author Richard Sloggett, programme director at Future Health, said: “The government has set welcome ambitions to improve five-year cancer survival rates. The picture painted by this research makes a strong case for ovarian cancer to be prioritised as the plan is rolled out. Improvements in diagnosis and survival should be a litmus test for whether the plan is delivering for patients.”
Symptoms can be vague and easy to miss. They include bloating, stomach pain, feeling full quickly and needing to urinate more.
A Department of Health spokesperson said: “Our National Cancer Plan sets out our ambition to improve survival for cancers through earlier detection, improved treatment and research. This includes investing billions more in cutting-edge technology and new treatments to diagnose faster and provide better care.”
