Survival rates are often used by doctors as a standard way of discussing a person's prognosis (outlook).
For ovarian cancer, this is usually done by looking at the percentage of patients who live at least 5 years after their cancer is diagnosed; this is called the 5-year survival rate.
According to Cancer.org www.cancer.org/cancer/ovariancancer/detailedguide/ovarian-cancer-survival-rates, the current 5-year survival rates for ovarian cancer are:
Ovarian Cancer Action says one of the reasons for the poor survival rate in the UK is that the disease is often spotted too late.
The charity’s Chief Executive, Katherine Taylor, says: “Ovarian cancer is particularly difficult to diagnose yet early diagnosis is crucial.
“When women are diagnosed in the early stages of ovarian cancer they have a 90% chance of surviving for more than five years but this reduces to 22% when diagnosed in the later stages.
“Too often we hear stories of women not being heard, of their cancer being diagnosed too late.”
It's important to see your GP if you experience any of the symptoms associated with ovarian cancer, particularly if you experience them over a long period of time (on most days for three weeks or more).
**If you have already seen your GP and your symptoms have continued or worsened, you must go back to explain this. **
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