AFTER 41 years of happy marriage to his beloved wife Gillian, Geoff Fisher was left heartbroken when she died in 2010 following a six-year battle with ovarian cancer.

But rather than giving up, the grandfather-of-two campaigned in her memory and raised more than £15,000 for Ovarian Cancer Action after hearing that the survival rate is half that of breast cancer.

According to the NHS website, ovarian cancer affects more than 6,500 women in the UK each year and is the fifth most common among women after breast cancer, bowel cancer, lung cancer and cancer of the uterus (womb).

But unlike breast cancer, for example, which is detected by first feeling a lump, ovarian cancer is difficult to recognise because many of its side effects tend to be symptoms that are more commonly caused by other less serious conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome.

These include abdominal swelling or bloating, pelvic pressure or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, and urinary symptoms.

According to Cancer Research UK, for all types of ovarian cancer, the five-year relative survival is about 43 per cent, whereas the five-year survival rate for breast cancer is 85 per cent.

Mr Fisher, of Ploughfields, Westhoughton, said: “The survival rate for breast cancer is about double that of ovarian. This is because it is hard to diagnose and many of the symptoms are similar or the same as IBS. I think that women should be more aware about it and get checked out if they thing something is wrong.

“If I can help save one life by campaigning in Gillian’s memory, it will be worth it.”

Mr Fisher, aged 68, says his wife began feeling unwell towards the end of 2003.

He said: “Between Christmas and New Year in 2003 she was not well at all so we went to see a locum doctor who said she had a gastric upset. It seemed to clear up but then in February I felt her stomach and it was rock hard.

“She went to see a gynaecologist who confirmed she had an ovarian cyst the size of a football. After taking some bloods and doing some tests they said it was likely to be malignant and needed to be removed.”

Mrs Fisher had a hysterectomy a few weeks later in March 2004 and they followed that up with chemotherapy and radiotherapy which finished on Christmas Eve.

He said: “She was ok for a few years after then and she was monitored regularly. But one time she said she didn’t feel right and she was going to move her appointment forward.

“Our fears were confirmed and more chemotherapy took her through September 2009 when she had a scan which said she was ok — but the blood test showed that the count in her blood had risen again.

“By Christmas she was put on a strong chemotherapy regime but after two weeks she got an infection meaning they couldn’t continue with the treatment.”

Despite the shock followed by gruelling rounds of treatment, Mrs Fisher remained positive throughout.

Mr Fisher said: “Throughout the process she remained upbeat and determined, even when her hair fell out twice. She just brought out a blonde wig. She was amazing. It was me that was in bits about it all.

“She was very brave and I am sure that a lot of people would not have been aware that there was anything wrong due to her demeanour.

“We even went to a wedding in May 2010 which was just a few weeks before she died. She was determined to go to that wedding because it was close friends and she did — and she looked lovely.

“But when we got home it was clear that she had another infection. Because of this, the doctors couldn’t give her any more treatment. I was devastated, but again she took the news well.”

Mr Fisher will be fundraising again with Ovarian Cancer Action on December 6 in Bolton town centre.

A spokesman for Ovarian Cancer Action, the UK’s leading ovarian cancer charity, said: “Geoff Fisher has been a long standing supporter for Ovarian Cancer Action for which we are truly grateful. Geoff has raised more than £15,000 for the charity and is dedicated to raising awareness of this terrible disease which claims the life of a woman every two hours in the UK.

“We are thrilled to be fundraising in Bolton town centre on Saturday, December 6 to raise some much needed funds this Christmas. Bucket collections are a vital income stream for us and also help us to spread symptom awareness all around the UK, this is therefore a very important day for both Geoff and the charity.”

For more information or to donate, visit ovarian.org.uk/donate.