International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

Women with ovarian cancer are less likely to die from the disease if they are treated by specialist gynaecological oncologists, it has been claimed.

According to research conducted by the West of Scotland Cancer Surveillance Unit, the chances of survival diminish if care is provided by a general gynaecologist.

Reported at the 16th International Meeting of the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology in Belgrade, Serbia, specialist care reduces the risk of death by 24 per cent.

Dr Alex Stirling, from the West of Scotland Cancer Surveillance Unit, said that across the nation, cancer services have been reorganised in a bid to provide equal standards of care for patients wherever they live.

However, she noted that some women continue to be treated away from larger cancer centres, meaning they do not have access to gynaecological oncologists.

Last month, Professor Jack Cuzick, of the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine in London, UK, claimed cervical cancer could be effectively eliminated within the next 50 years if countries implement national screening programmes.