Ovarian cancer is the sixth most common form of cancer in women in the UK, after breast, lung and bowel cancer, and yet it has one of the lowest five-year survival rates compared to many other, more common cancers.

In 2026, a woman dies every two hours from ovarian cancer in the UK. As with most cancers, early detection offers the best possible chance of successful treatment and survival.

Cancers of the ovary, fallopian tube, and the peritoneum are often grouped together under the term ‘ovarian cancer’, as they are so similar, and they are usually treated in the same way. Ovarian cancer can affect anyone who has ovaries and fallopian tubes. This includes women, transgender men, and people assigned female at birth.

March is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month; led by several UK ovarian cancer charities, the campaign aims to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of the disease, in the hope of improving detection, treatment and survival rates, as well as raising vital funds for lifesaving research.

The UK charities spearheading the awareness campaign include Ovarian Cancer Action, Target Ovarian Cancer, Macmillan Cancer Support, and The Eve Appeal. They highlight that over 7,400 women are diagnosed annually, with more than 70% being diagnosed late, meaning that the prospects of successful treatment are less favourable.

Supporters of the campaign are being encouraged to take part in, or sponsor, a 100km walk called ‘Walk In Her Name’, to fund lifesaving ovarian cancer research and to support those affected by ovarian cancer.

Cancer of the ovary causes symptoms like other, more common, and less serious conditions. This can make it more difficult to diagnose it early. Target Ovarian Cancer explains that the symptoms of ovarian cancer are frequent (they usually happen more than 12 times a month or three times a week) and persistent, and include:

  • ongoing bloating (not bloating that comes and goes);
  • feeling full quickly and/or loss of appetite;
  • pain in your tummy or pelvis (the area between your hip bones);
  • needing to wee more urgently or more often than usual.

Other symptoms can include unexpected weight loss, change in bowel habits, and extreme fatigue. It is advised that if people regularly experience any of these symptoms, which are not normal for them, it is important to see their GP.

Lack of awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer is felt to be a big contributing factor in the late diagnosis of the disease in the UK. The leading charities advise people to contact their GP if they regularly experience any one, or more, of the above symptoms. The GP should arrange for a CA125 blood test to check for raised levels of this protein, which may be higher in the presence of ovarian cancer. The GP may also order ultrasound scans of the ovaries and abdomen. If symptoms do not go away, then people are advised to go back to their GP or ask for a second opinion within a month.

Although ovarian cancer is the fourth most common form of cancer death amongst women in the UK, the average GP will see only one case of ovarian cancer every five years. The fact that GPs do not see it regularly, as well as the fact that symptoms can be non-specific and explained by other, less sinister conditions, are further reasons why this cancer is so often diagnosed at a late stage, when the prospects of successful treatment are limited.

Commenting on Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month 2026, Lucie Prothero, senior associate at Penningtons Manches Cooper and specialist in oncology claims, said: “We strongly support this campaign to increase awareness of ovarian cancer symptoms, help promote earlier diagnosis, and reduce the sad loss of life to this disease.

“Looking at ovarian cancer survival data collated and analysed by the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership (ICBP), it is clear that the UK is lagging behind many other European nations. It is estimated that if UK survival rates matched the best survival rates in Europe, 500 lives would be saved every year.

“We deal with many devastating cases where patients or their family members feel that an opportunity has been missed for an earlier diagnosis. We have seen instances where patients have attended repeatedly with some of the symptoms of ovarian cancer, but have not been appropriately referred for ultrasounds or had the simple CA125 blood testing performed.

“It is fair to say that the non-specific nature of the symptoms does present a challenge to doctors, which can often mean that a failure to diagnose the disease is not necessarily negligent. However, ovarian cancer is so serious that any doctor should be alert to the possibility of the diagnosis where the symptoms are frequent and persistent, and should have a low threshold for referring a patient for further investigation.”