Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale has called for a new ovarian cancer awareness programme after a report revealed more than a third of GPs wrongly believe there are no early detectable signs of the disease.
Ms Dugdale wants ovarian cancer to be added to the Scottish Government's Detect Cancer Early programme, aimed at diagnosing and treating bowel, lung and breast cancer patients at an earlier stage.
It comes after the Pathfinder Scotland Report by Target Ovarian Cancer found low awareness of the signs of the disease.
It found 36% of GPs wrongly believe there are no early detectable signs while 83% of women are not aware of the key symptoms of the illness, Ms Dugdale told Holyrood's chamber during First Minister's Questions.
"Much more needs to be done to raise awareness of ovarian cancer.
"Early detection can save lives but the reality is that too many women and even GPs aren't aware of the warning signs," she said.
"That is costing lives. The government must now commit to including ovarian cancer in the Detect Cancer Early programme, so that more women get the support the early support they need."
Nicola Sturgeon said the addition of ovarian cancer to the programme would be kept under review.
"We will pay very close attention to that report in the first instance," she said.
"One of the things that is extremely important particularly with cancer ... is to make sure that clinicians, particularly primary care clinicians, have the guidance and the information that they need to spot symptoms.
"Regularly, not simply with ovarian cancer but with other conditions, there will be work to look at and review guidance, so I will give an undertaking today that we will do that as far as the ovarian cancer report is concerned."
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