A WOMEN’S club in Gravesend has been raising awareness about the importance of early detection of ovarian and prostate cancer.

Gravesend Soroptimist Club invited people to hear talks on the diseases at St Mary’s Church Hall in Wrotham Road on March 10.

March is ovarian cancer and prostate cancer awareness month.

Public affairs manager for charity Target Ovarian Cancer, Dr Sharon Tate told guests 6,500 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer nationally each year.

She said: “If diagnosed at the earliest stage, survival chances increase dramatically to 70 per cent.”

Consultant urological and transplant surgeon at Barts and the London NHS Trust, Islam Junaid also spoke about prostate cancer.

Men in their 50s and above are 50 per cent more at risk and Mr Junaid encouraged them to have regular blood tests.

Symptoms include weight loss, back pain and an increased need to urinate.

Both speakers answered questions from the audience and relevant literature was provided to take away.

President of the club, Isobel Kesby, said: “There is chronic underfunding of the disease and a piecemeal approach to research and patient care.

“There is currently no effective screening tool that can be used amongst the general population, which is why knowledge of symptoms is particularly important.

“New approaches are urgently needed across the UK to give women the same prospects as elsewhere in Europe.”

The club held a raffle at the meeting and raised £140, to be donated to Target Ovarian Cancer and Kent based charity Prostate Cancer Support Association.

For more information, go to targetovariancancer.org.uk or psatest.co.uk

To find out about Gravesend Soroptimist Club, go to sigbi.org/gravesend/