Paisley Jnr backs ovarian cancer campaign

Mr Paisley Jnr (PICTURED RIGHT) joined Public Health Minister, Anna Soubry MP, Sharon Hodgson MP, Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Ovarian Cancer, as well as public health officials, women with ovarian cancer and clinicians to highlight the need for more to be done to improve survival.

The MP supports Target Ovarian Cancer’s findings on the importance of early diagnosis of women with ovarian cancer in Northern Ireland. New data from Target Ovarian Cancer’s Pathfinder Study shows that women are still facing delays that are costing lives:

 One in four women diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the last five years took more than three months to visit their GP after they began experiencing symptoms. And over half took more than a month.  

Once at the GPs, the report claims, the women still faced problems getting a correct diagnosis. 

For almost a third of women diagnosis was more than 6 months after they first went to see their doctor. Misdiagnosis is common, with 30% of women misdiagnosed as having Irritable Bowel Syndrome; 15% ovarian cysts and 13% a urinary infection. 

178 women in Northern Ireland are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year, and 119 women die of the disease. 

 Mr Paisley said: “Early diagnosis of women with ovarian cancer is paramount to their survival. I am extremely concerned with the findings from Target Ovarian Cancer’s Pathfinder Study, and continue to support calls for an awareness campaign in Northern Ireland.“