Cancer support
'Lack of support' for women hit by ovarian cancer
Hundreds of women in the north-east are facing unnecessary trauma because of a lack of support for them after undergoing surgery for ovarian cancer, a leading charity said yesterday.
Research carried out by Ovacome, a nationwide support group for women affected by ovarian cancer, said that over half of all women with the disease are not offered any counselling to help them cope. The charity said that the lack of emotional support available had serious repercussions, with one in five women quitting their jobs as a result of their trauma and nearly one in fifteen experiencing long-term mental health problems.
Over two-thirds of the women affected said they were worried about discussing their concerns with family members for fear of becoming a burden. 71% said it was difficult to talk to their friends because they simply did not know what to say to them. A spokeswoman for Ovacome said: "This survey dramatically highlights the need for support when a woman is diagnosed with ovarian cancer. At the moment the service is patchy with some patients receiving fantastic support and others receiving virtually none. Cancer is not just a physical disease - it causes a great deal of emotional trauma too."
