Thousands of older women receive ovarian cancer care ‘horribly enough’ compared to younger women, meaning they are far more likely to survive the disease, experts have warned.
People over the age of 70 have an average delay of five months before being referred to specialists, according to data collected by Ovarian Cancer Action – twice as long as the wait faced by younger women.
Also, many older ovarian cancer patients do not have medical surgery to remove their tumors, and one in five receive no treatment at all.
According to the charity, the figures explain the disproportionately high mortality rate for women over 70 with ovarian cancer – nearly half die within a year of diagnosis, compared to the average number of just under a third.
Experts blame the inequality of treatment on age discrimination, saying that as patients get older, symptoms are less severe.
Missing: Anna Perkins with her aunt, Mary Barrett, who died aged 71. Anna believes her aunt’s age was a factor in her slow judgment.
Marie-Claire Platt, head of research at Ovarian Cancer Action, says: ‘Older patients with ovarian cancer are let down at all stages. There is a myth that ovarian cancer is a silent killer – no, it is a cancer when caught early. But for many older women, that doesn’t happen. ‘
More than 7,000 women in the UK are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year, with 4,000 killed by the disease. Of those, over a third are aged 60 and over.
Like most cancers, ovarian cancer becomes more common as you get older. The risk goes up steeply from around 45 and is higher in those between 75 and 79. Between five and 15 percent of cases are known to be related to inherited genes.
Although the symptoms may vary, the first signs of the disease are often abdominal pain, bloating and need to go to the toilet more than usual. If diagnosed and treated early, it can be managed with a range of treatments including surgery and chemotherapy.
And if seen at the earliest stage, nine out of ten women will live for at least five years. But when confirmed late, the figure drops to just one in ten.
‘As we get older, we develop more illnesses, so it may be difficult for doctors to detect cancer immediately,’ says Platt. ‘But instead of just accepting that it’ s just age – related illnesses and pains, doctors should refer women for tests – just unknowingly.
Another problem is that doctors often accept that older women are not fit enough to have surgery. But fitness is not defined by age, every woman is different. Women should at least be given the option of surgery so that they can make a decision for themselves. ‘
Experts say older women’s symptoms are too often mistaken for common bowel problems.
‘Women in their 60s and 70s with ovarian cancer symptoms are being told they have IBS,’ says Hilary Maxwell, senior gynecology nurse and chief executive of GO Girls’ cancer support group. ‘This looks confusing, as studies show that IBS usually occurs before the age of 50.’
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Lack of awareness about red flags among older women is also said to contribute to late diagnosis.
‘This is a generation of women who are not used to talking openly about genetic issues,’ says Maxwell. ‘And when patients see their GP, they may talk around the subject because they are ashamed. So it’s important to educate and tell women to be more assertive and push GPs to look for cancer. ‘
Mary Barrett, a former bank clerk from Liverpool, was 68 when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2015 – but later doctors found she was more likely to have developed three years before she was diagnosed.
Sadly, the cancer was diagnosed at such a late stage that she lived for just three more years, and died in 2017, aged 71. Her daughter Anna Perkins, 31, an education officer from Manchester, says: ‘ For several years Mary was constantly feeling in bloom and her bowel habits changed. She went to her GP but at first thought it was probably IBS or bladder disease.
‘Mary went back and forth to her doctor for years. At one point she was taken to hospital to see if she had bowel cancer, but when there was no evidence of that they finally examined ovarian cancer. By the time they discovered the cancer it was too late.
‘They gave her chemotherapy and they were planning to work, but in the end there was no reason – the cancer had spread and it was unable to work.’
People over 70 have an average delay of five months before being referred to specialists, according to data collected by Ovarian Cancer Action (image file)
She believes that her aunt’s age was a factor in her slow judgment, saying: ‘There is a feeling that pain and anguish are just part of growing old and not properly studied to find a reason.
Being a GP is a very difficult job and they can’t see everything, but a closer examination of my aunt’s symptoms may still be alive. today. ‘
Platt says the report by Ovarian Cancer Action confirms what she calls’ health care inequality ‘:’ A woman with ovarian cancer deserves the best chance of surviving her disease, no matter what age she is. But for many older women, this is not reflected in their care. ‘
Julie Drake, 62, a shop owner, was diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer in June last year, but was forced to lie down to get a life-saving scan.
She began to feel bloated in early June and her stomach started to go up. At first she thought it was constipation. ‘It felt like I was incredibly full and I had heavy hair too,’ said Julie, from Bournemouth. ‘When the symptoms didn’t go away after a week, I called my doctor.
‘It was lock time so I couldn’t get an order in person.
He took me out on the phone with constipation and offered me a steroid cream for the hemorrhoids. I refused and said the cream was not going to help the swelling. ‘
Her doctor agreed to arrange a scan at the local hospital, but two weeks later Julie had not yet been given an appointment date.
She says: ‘My symptoms were getting worse and worse, my stomach was starting to look like a barrel and I was in a lot of pain. ‘
Eventually she felt she had to pretend she had been put out, so she would be quick for an emergency scan. The results showed advanced ovarian cancer. She needed immediate surgery to remove the tumor and her ovaries, followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
In December, Julie got everything clear. ‘If I hadn’t lied about my symptoms to get a scan, I’m not sure I would be here,’ she says.