March is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month with NHS Herefordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) urging women to know the symptoms and to get checked early.

11 women die in the UK every day from ovarian cancer and two-thirds of women are diagnosed once the cancer has already spread.

Helen Richardson, Chief Nursing Officer from Herefordshire CCG, said: “As with all cancers it’s important to get a diagnosis as early as possible.

"It’s vital to have that conversation with someone if you are concerned about any symptoms, especially when it comes to ovarian cancer.

"More than a quarter of cases are only diagnosed when they end up going to A&E because of their symptoms, but in many cases, it could have been caught a lot sooner.

"Please, make sure you know the signs to look out for, and if you’re concerned, talk to someone, whether that be your GP, family member or friend."

Common symptoms of ovarian cancer include:

• feeling constantly bloated

• a swollen tummy

• discomfort in your tummy or pelvic area

• feeling full quickly when eating

• needing to pee more often than normal

You should especially see your GP if:

• you’ve been feeling bloated most days for the last three weeks

• you have other symptoms of ovarian cancer that won’t go away

• you have a family history of ovarian cancer and are worried you may be at a higher risk of getting it

Helen added: "It’s unlikely you have cancer, but it’s always best to check, either to make sure your symptoms are not cancer or just to ease your fears.

"Your GP can do some simple tests to see if you might ovarian cancer. If you’ve already seen your GP and your symptoms continue or get worse, go back to them and explain that you are still suffering with those symptoms."

You can find out more on NHS Choices - www.nhs.uk/conditions/ovarian-cancer