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<p>Improving early diagnosis of cancer, including ovarian cancer, remains a priority.
We are working towards the NHS Long Term Plan ambition of diagnosing 75% of stageable
cancers at stage 1 and 2 by 2028. The latest published data shows this was 52% between
January to December 2020. Achieving this will mean that, from 2028, 55,000 more people
each year will survive their cancer for at least five years after diagnosis. The National
Health Service is improving pathways to get people diagnosed faster once they are
referred and is looking into alternative routes into the system, including non-specific
symptom (NSS) pathways for patients who do not fit clearly into a single ‘urgent cancer’
referral pathway but who are at risk of being diagnosed with cancer. This will help
support faster ovarian cancer diagnosis. 108 NSS pathways are currently operational,
with more in development. By March 2024, the NSS programme will achieve full population
coverage across England for non-specific symptom pathways as set out in the 2023/24
NHS Planning Guidance.</p><p>Reducing variation in cancer services is a strategic
priority for the NHS Cancer Programme. The NHS Cancer Programme has commissioned five
new cancer clinical audits, which will provide timely evidence for cancer service
providers of where patterns of care in England may vary, increase the consistency
of access to treatments and help stimulate improvements in cancer treatment and outcomes
for patients. The Royal College of Surgeons began work on this audit in October last
year with the first outcomes expected in 2023/24. This includes an audit on ovarian
cancer.</p><p>To encourage people to get in touch with their general practitioner
if they notice or are worried about symptoms that could be cancer, NHS England is
running the ‘Help Us, Help You’ (HUHY) campaigns. This included multiple phases of
the campaign that had a focus on abdominal symptoms which, among other abdominal cancers,
can be indicative of ovarian cancer, most recently in November and December 2022.
Alongside that phase of the campaign, NHS England funded a series of community engagement
events coordinated by a cluster of gynaecological cancer charities, led by Target
Ovarian Cancer.</p><p>The NHS plans to run further HUHY campaign activity through
2023/24.</p>
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