I’d like to thank the Petitions Committee for their report and the work they undertook to consider this petition. Ovarian cancer strikes around 20 women each day in the UK and sadly accounts for around 248 deaths in Wales each year. We all know that in the case of cancer, early diagnosis equates to better chances of survival. If diagnosed in the early stages of ovarian cancer, 90 per cent survive for five years or more. However, if diagnosed in the later stage, only three in 100 survive beyond five years. It is, therefore, imperative that we do all we can to diagnose ovarian cancer sooner.

Unfortunately, there is not yet a reliable screening test for ovarian cancer. The UK collaborative trial on ovarian cancer undertook a 14-year study looking at the benefits of the CA125 blood test and ultrasound probes to detect the early signs of ovarian cancer. Unfortunately, the results did not find any conclusive evidence that this type of screening would reduce ovarian cancer deaths. In fact, the trial found that there were a large number of false positives. They found that for every three women who had surgery to check for ovarian cancer based on their blood test, two of them turned out not to have cancer. Scaling that up over the whole population adds up to a lot of unnecessary surgery.

This surgery isn’t a trivial procedure—like any surgery it carries significant risks. Around three out of every 100 women who had surgery also had major complications as a result—this included infections or damage to other organs. We therefore need to find a better way of screening—a more reliable method—before we roll out screening to the whole population.

The Petitions Committee recommend that the Welsh Government keeps the screening programme for ovarian cancer under review and I wholeheartedly support this recommendation. I am pleased that the Cabinet Secretary has accepted it. I would like us to go further. We should be actively pushing for further research into ways to screen for ovarian cancer. Aside from screening, it is important that all health professionals recognise the early signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer, as this is the key to providing early diagnosis and treatment. Over 40 per cent of women with ovarian cancer have had to visit their GP on numerous occasions to be referred for further tests. I, therefore, welcome the committee’s second recommendation and the Cabinet Secretary’s acceptance of it.

However, I was deeply disappointed that the Cabinet Secretary has rejected the committee’s third recommendation, which calls on the Welsh Government to improve public awareness of ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer is often called the silent killer as only one in four women can name the symptoms, such as persistent bloating, persistent stomach pain, difficulty eating and needing to urinate more frequently. A quarter of women also believe, incorrectly, that a smear test will detect ovarian cancer. If women do not recognise the signs and symptoms of this killer disease, how can they possibly hope to seek treatment? I, therefore, ask the Cabinet Secretary to please reconsider. Public awareness of this disease can genuinely save lives, so until we get better screening for ovarian cancer, it is our best hope to save women from dying from this terrible disease. Diolch yn fawr.