Know the symptoms of ovarian cancer this gynaecological cancer awareness month

Publish date: 11 September 2025

This gynaecological cancer awareness month, the Kent and Medway Cancer Alliance want to help bust the myth that cervical screening detects ovarian cancer.

Did you know that one in five people think there is a national screening programme for ovarian cancer?

We also know that only 21 per cent of women in the UK can name bloating as a key symptom of ovarian cancer.

This information, in combination with Target Ovarian Cancer’s finding that 40 per cent of women wrongly believe that cervical screening detects ovarian cancer, tells us we need to act urgently to provide better clarity on screening.

A combination of poor symptoms awareness and the misconception that national screening programmes detect ovarian cancer is putting women with ovarian cancer at risk of late diagnosis.

The earlier ovarian cancer is diagnosed, the easier it is to treat.

'Let's talk about ovarian cancer'

Our 'Let's talk about ovarian cancer' campaign is part of our work to increase earlier diagnosis and treat cancer sooner.

It aims to encourage women to know the symptoms of ovarian cancer, improve confidence in self-advocacy and to contact their GP practice if they are concerned.

Find out more about the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer.

Healthcare professionals

If you are working in a healthcare setting, here’s how you can help to bust myths this month:

update local cervical screening messaging on your practice website to align with national guidance, making clear what the test does and doesn’t detect
make sure everyone in your practice is aware of the limitations of cervical screening, and how to take action on disclosure of symptoms of possible ovarian cancer
order ovarian cancer awareness materials from Target Ovarian Cancer
update your knowledge of ovarian cancer, with Target Ovarian Cancer’s healthcare professional learning.

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Signs and symptoms

Women can be diagnosed with ovarian cancer at any age but it’s more common in women aged between 60 and 80.

The main symptoms of ovarian cancer are:

persistent bloating or a swollen tummy
reduced appetite or feeling full quickly after eating
pain or tenderness in your tummy or pelvis (the area between the hips)
urinary symptoms (needing to wee more urgently or more often).

These will be:

frequent – they will usually happen more than 12 times per month
persistent – they don’t go away
new – they’re not normal for you.

There are many other (non-cancer) causes for these symptoms but if you are concerned, it’s best to get them checked out.

Finding ovarian cancer early can mean it’s more treatable. Have the conversation. Contact your GP practice.

* (Source: Cancer registration statistics - NDRS – 2022 data.)

Screening and early diagnosis

Our screening and early diagnosis work focuses on breaking down barriers to increase the number of people who take up screening and raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer to reduce health and health care inequalities across Kent and Medway.

Faster diagnosis

The NHS Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS) requires patients to be diagnosed or have cancer ruled out within 28 days of being referred urgently by their GP for suspected cancer. For patients who are diagnosed with cancer, it means their treatment can begin as soon as possible. For those who are not, they can have their minds put at rest more…

Personalised care and support

Personalised care means giving patients more choice and control over their care, based on what matters most to them as individuals. It is a partnership between people with cancer and their professional team.

Innovation

Kent and Medway Cancer Alliance (KMCA) is one of eight cancer alliances to participate in the Galleri-GRAIL clinical trial. The trial aims to prove whether the Galleri-GRAIL test is effective in diagnosing up to 50 types of cancer by looking for DNA markers in the blood.