Ovarian Cancer Action want all women with non-mucinous ovarian cancer to be offered BRCA gene testing at point of diagnosis.

In the UK women diagnosed with ovarian cancer are not all automatically offered a test to see if they have a BRCA gene mutation.

We all have BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes but a mutation in these genes dramatically increases a woman’s likelihood of developing ovarian cancer by around 50%.

Currently testing is not available to patients consistently across the UK, despite the fact that NICE guidelines indicate that they qualify.

We want to inform women of their Right To Know and, in turn, put pressure on the government and the NHS to routinely implement the NICE guidelines.

The Ovarian Cancer Action BRCA1/2 Gene Testing Policy Report states that trials at The Royal Marsden have demonstrated that testing can be carried out in a way that is affordable, deliverable and beneficial to women with the disease and their families.

If a woman knows that she has a BRCA gene mutation she could:

• - Access the most appropriate treatments for her cancer
• - Take part in a clinical trial that might prolong her life
• - Inform her daughter who will have a 50% chance of carrying the mutation too
• - Inform her family and potentially prevent future cancers or help to spot them early
• - Her female relatives could then have preventative surgery to ensure they don’t develop ovarian or breast cancer in the future

This petition forms part of Ovarian Cancer Action's BRCA Right To Know campaign for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month 2015.

 Find out more www.ovarian.org.uk/RightToKnow