'I had signs of ovarian cancer and want others to know them'

In early 2021 Joss Cook began suffering from abdominal pains, bloating, needed to urinate more and quickly felt full when eating - key symptoms of ovarian cancer.

The 57-year-old from Kesgrave, Suffolk, visited a doctor who initially thought she had irritable bowel syndrome.

Months later, after being sent to A&E by her GP, she was diagnosed with the cancer.

About 7,500 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer every year in the UK and it is the sixth most common cancer in women, according to Cancer Research UK.

Mrs Cook has been trying to raise more awareness of the symptoms of the disease during Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

"I'd just come over the age of 50 and I was starting to put these pains down to the menopause, I thought that probably what my uncomfortable tummy was," Mrs Cook explained.

"I was still having regular periods and I had some quite bad cramping so I thought, 'something doesn't feel right'."

Mrs Cook's symptoms worsened over the following months: her appetite "diminished", she needed to urinate more and by September 2021 her stomach had distended to the point that she looked pregnant.

Tests by her GP failed to identify the issue, so she was sent to A&E.

"At about 02:00 in the morning I was taken through for a CT scan," Mrs Cook said.

"At 07:00, 08:00, the consultant came around and said: 'I'm really sorry to tell you, you've got two tumours and we need to operate.'

"They removed two tumours - one 15cm and one 25cm - then I had a full hysterectomy and a debulking procedure."

Mrs Cook has been clear of her cancer since her treatment and she explained staying positive throughout the experience helped her.

She believed that had she had a CA125 blood test earlier - CA125 is a protein in the blood and can be raised in women with some types of ovarian cancer - she might have been diagnosed sooner.

Cancer Research UK as well as the NHS said the blood test was not a completely reliable as some women with the cancer have normal CA125 levels, while other womb and ovary conditions can also raise levels.

Maureen Clark, from Sudbury, Suffolk, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer aged 65 at the end of 2022.

Her daughter-in-law, Angel Clark, 38, from Ardleigh, Essex, said Maureen initially noticed her stomach had "popped out".

She visited her GP and undertook a CA125 blood test, which revealed high levels of the protein and ovarian cancer was suspected before her diagnosis.

Mrs Clark said the whole family was "distraught".

"She was a healthy, fit and active person months away from retirement," she said. "It put everything on hold."

After several chemotherapy rounds, Maureen had a hysterectomy and debulking procedure in April 2023, which her daughter-in-law said went "really well".

A small amount of cancer on her bowels was left by surgeons as it could not be reached.

Maureen lived fully and made memories with her family before a check-up CA125 test revealed risen levels of the protein, and she restarted chemotherapy in November 2024.

"In the middle of November she had her first round of chemotherapy, then three days later she had a massive stroke on the left side of her brain," Mrs Clark continued.

"It completely debilitated her, she lost cognition, unresponsive for the most part and we had a couple of lucid moments with her while she was in hospital, but ultimately they withdrew everything and she passed away on the 16 December."

Mrs Clark said Maureen's family was adjusting to life without her.

She described her mother-in-law as a "beautiful individual inside and out" and encouraged everyone to be aware of ovarian cancer symptoms.

In early 2020, Katy Stephenson, 50, from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, noticed symptoms she would come to learn were signs of ovarian cancer.

Doctors first suspected she was perimenopause or had irritable bowel syndrome and tests found a mild infection, but no follow-ups were done.

Six months later she was diagnosed with the cancer after doctors found a mass in her left fallopian tube while treating her for appendicitis.

"I did have symptoms and the thing I find very worrying, upsetting [is that] I wasn't sent for a CA125 blood test... that was never flagged for me," she said.

"I was shocked. I was on my own because it was Covid and you could only go to appointments on your own so that was all very difficult."

Mrs Stephenson started chemotherapy before having a full hysterectomy.

"I was fortunate in a sense that it was stage one when I was first diagnosed, so I was told that I could be cured - and I was for a year," she continued.

"Unfortunately it then spread to my abdominal cavity... now it is incurable."

Mrs Stephenson has had more treatment and is on a maintenance drug that has kept her stable for nearly two years.

"Some days are better than others, but you never get away from the fact that at some point the maintenance drug is going to stop working and the cancer is going to come back," she added.

Mrs Stephenson believed an earlier CA125 test might have led to a quicker diagnosis and she encouraged people to "advocate" for themselves at the GP.

"You have to push," she said. "If they brush you off as I was, go in knowing what your symptoms are, knowing what it could potentially be, and the fact that you need to ask for a CA125 blood test."

Dr Edward Morris, NHS England's regional medical director and chief clinical information officer for East of England, said it was "crucial" anyone with cancer symptoms "gets checked as soon as possible".

"So, if you frequently feel bloated or you often feel full quickly after eating – or have any other unusual symptoms – whilst it is unlikely to be ovarian cancer, it is vital you come forward and contact your GP practice for an appointment," he added.

There is no national ovarian cancer screening programme as, according to the NHS, there is not a test that can reliably pick it up at an early stage.

The NHS said a GP would usually do a CA125 test for those experiencing frequent and persistent symptoms of the cancer, but other tests would be needed for a diagnosis.