Two Leamington friends are linked by a 'silent killer' disease - and together they are determined to break that silence.
Around 5,000 women die from ovarian cancer in the UK every year, but few have heard of it or know what the symptoms are.
Jean Beck and Jayne Jones want to change all that.
Jayne lost her sister to the disease and Jean is fighting the disease he
rself.
Mrs Beck, 61, met Mrs Jones last year at a tea party the 40-year-old mum-of-two had organised to raise funds for a research charity.
Mrs Beck was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2006 - the same year that Mrs Jones’ sister, Carol Millsopp, died from it, aged 39.
In both cases, the illness was diagnosed at an advanced stage and - as often happens - the symptoms were explained away by other complaints.
Mrs Beck said: “I have always been very proactive about my health and was told by a GP that the severe bowel pain I was experiencing was down to irritable bowel syndrome.
“But after many different prescriptions it didn’t get any better and I was sent for a test at the hospital. I was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer and, without any treatment, given six months to live.
“Now, almost two years on after chemotherapy, surgery and more chemotherapy I am managing the disease like a chronic illness.
“My amazing family and friends know there will be sad times in the future but I am making the most of life now and want to help fight the battle against this silent killer.”
Mrs Jones’ sister Carol was diagnosed as soon as she saw her GP, but she had been experiencing the symptoms for months without realising it.
She said: “She was feeling tired, but had two small children and a demanding job so put it down to that.
“She had also put on weight despite having lost her appetite.
“Her family didn’t like to say anything, but when a friend at work asked if she was pregnant she went to the doctors.
“As soon as the GP saw her he diagnosed ovarian cysts. Everything happened very quickly which was fantastic, but it had been caught too late.”
Unlike breast and cervical cancer, the survival rates for ovarian cancer have not improved over the past 20 years and of the 7,000 women diagnosed each year, only 2,000 survive.
That is why the pair are supporting the Eve Appeal, which funds research into early detection, diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer with the aim of reducing deaths by 50 per cent over the next five years.
On March 1 and 2 - the weekend of Mothers’ Day - they will be holding a stall in Boots in Leamington, in a bid to catch the attention of women shopping in the store.
Mrs Jones said: “Ovarian cancer affects women of all ages and the more people who know about it the more likely it will be caught at an early stage. It’s about not ruling it out.”
Mrs Beck added: “Women are often so used to having period pains and expecting problems when they are menopausal they ignore the symptoms.
“If I had known what the symptoms were I could have been treated sooner and increased my chances of survival.”
