Ovarian cancer shortens a woman’s life by almost two decades, a charity has said.
Analysis by Ovarian Cancer Action examined data from the Global Health Data Exchange and compared the age women died of ovarian cancer to the average life expectancy of women in that country.
It found that across England, Wales and Scotland, the disease shortens a woman’s life by an average of 19 years.
The figure has been released to mark the start of ovarian cancer awareness month throughout March. The charity said that across the UK a woman dies from ovarian cancer every two hours.
The charity added that while symptom awareness is vital, there must also be an emphasis on earlier detection of the disease.
Symptoms of ovarian cancer can include stomach pain, bloating, feeling full more quickly, and needing to wee more frequently