Spotting the signs of ovarian cancer: why acting early matters

Ovarian cancer claims more lives each year than all other gynaecological cancers combined. Yet public awareness of its symptoms remains alarmingly low.

Nearly half of women diagnosed over the past three years first presented as emergency cases, a figure that Ovarian Cancer Action, the UK charity dedicated to improving outcomes for people with the disease, describes not simply as alarming but as a national health crisis.

Exploring the causes of late diagnosis

The National Ovarian Cancer Audit’s State of the Nation Report 2025 reveals that nearly half of women with ovarian cancer are only taken seriously once their condition reaches a crisis point - when symptoms become so severe that they require emergency hospital admission.

Jo Stanford, Health Projects Manager, Ovarian Cancer Action, UK, explains that late diagnosis happens for a range of reasons.

While some of these factors may be out of your control, Stanford emphasises that improving awareness is one crucial area where women can take action - by learning to recognise the symptoms and seeking help early.

“90% of women aren’t aware of the four main symptoms of ovarian cancer,” she says. “And one in four mistakenly believe that a cervical smear test actually detects ovarian cancer, which it does not.

“There is currently no screening test for ovarian cancer, which is why increased awareness of symptoms is absolutely vital.”

Jo Stanford, Health Projects Manager, Ovarian Cancer Action

What are the four main symptoms of ovarian cancer?

Ovarian cancer symptoms are frequently mistaken for more common health issues, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), menopause, or stress. Because these symptoms are often vague and can overlap with less serious conditions, many women are dismissed by their doctors when they seek help, which can delay diagnosis.

1. Persistent bloating

Persistent bloating can feel like fullness or tightness in your abdomen that doesn’t go away. Your tummy may also look or feel bigger than usual.

Stanford says: “Maybe your clothes feel a bit tighter, or your tummy feels harder than normal. You might notice your tummy is a bit bigger, even if you've lost weight elsewhere, or you may notice a new lump in your tummy.”

2. Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly

You may feel full after only a small amount of food, even when you were hungry beforehand. You might struggle to finish your usual meal and become satiated much sooner than normal.

Stanford says: “It could be that you eat or drink a small amount and already feel full, or notice a loss of appetite compared to usual. You might also experience heartburn, indigestion, or nausea - such as feeling sick, being sick, or just constantly feeling like you’ve got an upset tummy.”

3. Needing to pee more often

Needing to pee more frequently or urgently can be a symptom of ovarian cancer. You may rush to the toilet but pass very little urine, or have the urge to go, even when your bladder is empty.

Stanford says: “You may also feel like you can’t fully empty your bladder.”

4. Pain around your tummy or pelvis

Persistent pain around your tummy - from the middle of your body down to the top of your thighs - should be discussed with your doctor.

Stanford says: “This can be anything from a dull ache, or constant pressure to sharp stabbing pains in your pelvis. It may feel like a heavy dragging sensation, pain that comes and goes but keeps coming back, or pain during sex or when going to the toilet.”

“We're not suggesting that every time someone experiences any of these symptoms, they should panic and think it’s ovarian cancer, because it’s most likely not,” says Stanford. “However, it’s really important to acknowledge that we all know our own normal.

“We need to trust women when they notice something out of the ordinary that they've not experienced before. If there's something niggling, we must find the cause of it, rather than ignoring it and assuming it’s something else.”

Ovarian Cancer Action's symptoms checker

If you notice any of the above symptoms and are concerned, it’s important to make an appointment with your doctor for a proper check-up. In the meantime, Ovarian Cancer Action has launched a free online symptom checker, available on their website. This quick tool takes around a minute to complete and is designed to help you identify symptoms, recognise patterns, and seek medical advice sooner.

Stanford explains that the checker aims to help people take their health seriously, making sure they don’t ignore symptoms and get them properly checked out.

“Our research shows that many women are more likely to take their dog to the vet than take themselves to the doctor’s,” she says. “We want to empower women to take action and not put their health below that of everyone else.

“Two-thirds of women say they would act immediately if they found a lump in their breast. But fewer than one in four would do the same if they had symptoms of ovarian cancer. Our symptoms checker will help identify these signs and encourage people to act sooner.”

The importance of early diagnosis

Detecting ovarian cancer early gives you a 95% chance of survival, while a stage four diagnosis - when the cancer has spread to other parts of your body - carries a survival rate of just 16%.

“If ovarian cancer is caught at an earlier stage, you’re more likely to have treatment,” Stanford explains. “However, less than a third of cases are actually diagnosed at stage 1 or 2.”

She emphasises that, since there is currently no screening test for ovarian cancer, a diagnosis relies entirely on women recognising and reporting their symptoms to their doctor as early as possible.

Stanford adds that ovarian cancer has long been referred to as ‘the silent killer’- a term she believes is misleading and unhelpful. It can give the false impression that the disease has vague or unclear symptoms, which may discourage women from seeking help at crucial stages when early action could save their lives.

“According to the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition, more than 87% of women diagnosed at stage one experienced symptoms,” she says. “Another study found that one in four women who were diagnosed after reporting symptoms were identified at stage one or two. So symptom awareness can therefore translate into higher survival rates.”

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