Prof. Adam Rosenthal qualified from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School (now Imperial College), London, in 1992 and undertook general Obstetrics and Gynaecology training, working at various hospitals, including St. Mary's, Queen Charlotte's, the Hammersmith, and Chelsea and Westminster. He is now a Consultant Gynaecologist at UCLH, where he leads the Colposcopy and Familial Gynaecological Cancer services.

He is also Professor of Gynaecological Cancer Prevention at University College London (UCL). His clinical interests are laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery, colposcopy, gynaecological cancer screening, HPV-related pre-cancers of the cervix, vagina and vulval and inherited gynaecological cancers. He has published extensively on gynaecological cancer screening and prevention in journals including the Lancet and the British Medical Journal. He has sat on the UK Cancer Genetics Group Steering Committee, and the NICE Familial Ovarian Cancer Guideline Committee.

He is a Trustee and medical advisor to the Eve Appeal; the UK's foremost gynaecological Cancer charity. He features regularly in media stories about inherited gynaecological cancer and has appeared on Sky News, Chanel 4 News, Channel 5 News, BBC London, ITV London, and Radio 4 Today amongst others. https://eveappeal.org.uk/

In this episode Professor Adam Rosenthal explains why ovarian cancer can be so difficult to detect, how our understanding of the disease has changed over recent decades, and why many ovarian cancers are now thought to start in the fallopian tubes rather than the ovaries. We discuss the key symptoms, including persistent bloating, feeling full quickly, pelvic pain and changes in bowel or bladder habits, and why it is so important for women to know what is normal for their own bodies and seek medical advice when something feels different.

We also explore risk factors, including age, family history and inherited genes, as well as the challenges researchers face in developing an effective screening test. Adam talks us through current diagnostic tests and treatment options, including surgery, chemotherapy and newer targeted therapies, while highlighting the importance of personalised cancer care. He also tackles common myths, including the misconception that only your mother’s side of the family matters when assessing inherited cancer risk, and explains why a normal cervical screening result does not rule out ovarian cancer.

This episode is full of practical, evidence-based information about ovarian cancer awareness, prevention and early detection, along with an important reminder that persistent symptoms should never be ignored.

Date of episode recording: 2026-09-15
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Professor Joyce Harper
Guests: Professor Adam Rosenthal
Producer: Joyce Harper