From the RUH: A Wiltshire mum who was treated for ovarian cancer at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust is appealing to women to get themselves checked if they have any symptoms of the disease.
Following surgery and a course of chemotherapy, Kirsty Treen, 39, from Chippenham, no longer has any visible evidence of disease, although she remains under surveillance at the RUH.
She said: “My message to other women would be to listen to your body and make sure you get checked if something doesn’t feel right – please don’t ignore what might be symptoms of something serious.”
Kirsty visited her GP in March 2024 – Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month – after experiencing a bloated stomach which was sore to touch and having some unexpected bleeding too.
“At first my GP thought it could simply be down to me being a bit run down and tired, or perhaps an infection, but I was worried it was something else, so I got a second opinion and was booked in for a scan at the RUH the next day,” she said.
“The scan showed a mass which the radiologists were concerned about and I was quickly put on a cancer treatment pathway. Although it hadn’t been confirmed as cancer at this stage, when I heard that word my whole world just fell down around me.
“I remember just standing in the hospital car park after my appointment in a daze, it was overwhelming.”
Further hospital appointments and a biopsy confirmed that Kirsty had ovarian cancer. She underwent 11 hours of surgery where she had a full hysterectomy and spent a total of two weeks in hospital to recover. This was followed by four months of chemotherapy.
“It was a really difficult time but I’ve come through it and now I just want to make sure women take the time to find out more about ovarian cancer and the symptoms,” said Kirsty.
“I was diagnosed in Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and only really knew about the symptoms as a friend of mine had been posting about them on social media in memory of her mum, who had died from the disease. That information probably saved my life.
“So please do listen to your body, trust your intuition and get yourself checked out – the earlier this type of cancer is diagnosed and treated, the better your outcome will be.”
Kirsty thanked the RUH team who had cared for her. “I can’t fault a single person that I’ve come into contact with at the hospital, they have all been fantastic.
“The care and support I’ve received throughout my whole treatment has been wonderful.”
Ovarian cancer mostly affects women over the age of 50 and it can affect anyone who has ovaries. You can still get ovarian cancer if you’ve had your ovaries removed because it can also affect your fallopian tubes, or the lining inside your tummy.
Symptoms of ovarian cancer include frequently (roughly 12 or more times a month) having:
• a swollen tummy or feeling bloated
• pain or tenderness in your tummy or the area between the hips (pelvis)
• no appetite or feeling full quickly after eating
• an urgent need to pee or needing to pee more often
You can find out more here – https://targetovariancancer.org.uk/