![\"Pauline](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0_03-Pauline62-from-Maghera.png\")
<\/p>\n\u201cOur daughters and granddaughters must be better informed than previous generations of women.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pauline Donnelly received a late stage diagnosis of ovarian cancer in 2021<\/p>\n
A Northern Ireland woman diagnosed with ovarian cancer five years ago is urging others to learn the symptoms of the disease which claims the lives of 122 women every year here.<\/p>\n
Pauline Donnelly, 62 and from Maghera<\/a>, received a late stage (known as 4b) diagnosis of ovarian cancer in 2021. She experienced symptoms of fatigue, abdominal discomfort and urinary issues, and credits her GP for being aware of ovarian cancer symptoms and asking the right questions. This led to a quick diagnosis, which is not the case for so many women.<\/p>\n \u201cThe disbelief, and dare I say anger, I feel that whilst I was aware of the symptoms of breast cancer and cervical cancer and attended regular screenings for both, I had little to no awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer,\u201d Pauline said.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Women urged to recognise early signs of cancer often mistaken for other common conditions<\/a>READ MORE: ‘I’m living with cancer and even on the darkest days you have to hold on to hope’<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cAfter my diagnosis, and with the benefit of hindsight and further knowledge, I realised I had experienced more symptoms than those I had previously mentioned. Discussions must be had with women <\/a>during their cervical smear tests, as many women wrongly believe this test will detect ovarian cancer.<\/p>\n \u201cOpportunities like this should not be missed. I feel awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer is so important \u2013 because knowledge is power. If we don\u2019t know, we don\u2019t act quickly enough and can easily pass symptoms off as being \u2018age related\u2019 or some other less serious condition.<\/p>\n \u201cI want the future of ovarian cancer awareness to be as prominent as breast cancer, bowel cancer and cervical cancer. I want to read about it in magazines and newspapers, highlighting what women should be mindful of with regards to symptoms of ovarian cancer.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to see leaflets in GP surgeries, ideally handed out to women having their smear tests so they can be reminded\/informed that it won\u2019t detect ovarian cancer, and educate them on the symptoms and how they may present. I want GPs to be better educated in recognising symptoms, so women are not dismissed as menopausal.\u201d<\/p>\n Pauline credits her GP for being aware of the symptoms of ovarian cancer and asking the right questions(Image: Submitted )<\/p>\n Pauline added: \u201cI want to see public figures speak on TV about their personal experience of ovarian cancer, as we have seen with breast and bowel cancer. We cannot delay any longer in taking action to raise awareness around this disease.<\/p>\n \u201cOur daughters and granddaughters must be better informed than previous generations of women. Early detection of ovarian cancer is vital, especially in the absence of any accurate screening mechanism, so that better outcomes can be achieved, and lives saved.\u201d<\/p>\n Symptoms of ovarian cancer<\/p>\n What are the symptoms?<\/p>\n Persistent bloating – not bloating that comes and goesFeeling full quickly and\/or loss of appetitePelvic or abdominal pain (that’s your tummy and below)Urinary symptoms (needing to wee more urgently or more often than usual)<\/p>\n Occasionally there can be other symptoms:<\/p>\n Changes in bowel habit (eg diarrhoea or constipation)Extreme fatigue (feeling very tired)Unexplained weight loss<\/p>\n Any bleeding after the menopause should always be investigated by a GP.<\/p>\n Symptoms will be:<\/p>\n Frequent \u2013 they usually happen more than 12 times a monthPersistent \u2013 they don\u2019t go awayNew \u2013 they are not normal for you<\/p>\n Target Ovarian Cancer will be at Stormont<\/a> Park on Sunday, June 7 to raise awareness of ovarian cancer to help prevent further deaths from the disease. Ovar-Dressed Belfast is a key event for the charity in which participants run or walk a 5k route to raise money for the charity which funds support, education and research into ovarian cancer.<\/p>\n In its latest research, Pathfinder Northern Ireland: Faster, further, fairer , the charity revealed that only a third of women in Northern Ireland could name bloating as a key symptom of the disease, and nearly half (46%) wrongly believe that a cervical screening will detect it.<\/p>\n The event is an opportunity for the charity to empower everyone with the knowledge of ovarian cancer symptoms, of which 200 women are diagnosed with every year in Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n Sinead Grimes, Events Fundraising Manager, at Target Ovarian Cancer <\/p>\n Sinead Grimes, Events Fundraising Manager, at Target Ovarian Cancer said: \u201cKnowledge is power and it is imperative that women know the symptoms of ovarian cancer, and how to get it diagnosed early. The commitments shown from the Department of Health have been promising, however we know more can be done to help women identify symptoms and receive an earlier diagnosis.\u201d<\/p>\n Recent campaigning efforts by Target Ovarian Cancer and its supporters have led to working with the Minister of Health, Mike Nesbitt MLA, to improve knowledge about the disease and raise awareness of its symptoms.<\/p>\n Sinead continued: \u201cWe\u2019d encourage anyone who wants to find out more to join us at Stormont Park on Sunday 7 June for Ovar-Dressed Belfast. Walk, run and dress up (or just wear your free Ovar-Dressed t-shirt) to raise awareness and money to help save lives.\u201d<\/p>\n To sign up to Ovar-Dressed Belfast on Sunday 7 June at Stormont Park, or to find out more, visit: https:\/\/join.targetovariancancer.org.uk\/event\/ovar-dressed-belfast-2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Pauline](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_Pauline_Target-Ovarian-Cancer.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Sinead](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0_01-Sinead-Grimes-Target-Ovarian-Cancerjpeg.jpg\")
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