A son is fighting the disease that he lost his mother and aunt to by raising money for charity.

James Lubbock 39, from Borehamwood ran the Royal Parks Half Marathon on Sunday to raise money for Ovarian Cancer Action.

The customer success director wanted to raise awareness of the condition that his mother Marilyn died from in 2008.

In Marilyn was diagnosed in 2006 doctors discovered that she had stage four ovarian cancer.

James said: “It was devastating news. She had been experiencing mild symptoms, bloating and hip pain, so went to her GP. She was concerned and referred her for further tests.

“When we found out the results, it was a complete shock. She did not look ill, or like you might expect an ovarian cancer patient to look.

“She must have had ovarian cancer for more than a year before it was diagnosed. If only we had known.”

Marilyn was given emergency surgery and chemotherapy which gave Marilyn time to spend with close friends and family and she died a year later.

“Everything becomes significant and bittersweet in that phase. There were a lot of laughs. My then partner and I went to Provence with mum.

“She was big on lavender and so we visited some beautiful lavender fields. Everything felt like a big moment when the family got together.

“Close family and friends went to her house to celebrate her 60th birthday. 60 is still so young but it was a landmark: that day I remember her saying ‘I’ve made it, I’ve made it.’”

Shortly after Marilyn died of ovarian cancer, her sister Ann also died of the same illness.

In 2007 James took part in the London Marathon to support Ovarian Cancer Action, but has not stopped there.

By taking part in the latest race he has raised more than £1,150 to support the charity.

He added: “I’m sure there are many similar stories to my mother’s, and speaking about this is almost educational.

“If a woman is concerned about ovarian cancer-related symptoms and goes to the doctor, most of the time it’ll be a false alarm.

“But maybe, by sharing this story, a woman will go to the doctor who does have ovarian cancer and it’ll be caught when it wouldn’t have been otherwise.”

Early diagnosis is crucial for survival as women have a 90 per cent chance of surviving five years if their cancer is caught stage one which plummets to four per cent if diagnosed at stage four.

This is the sixth most common female cancer with more than 7,300 diagnoses in the UK each year.

The UK has one of the lowest survival rates in Western Europe with a woman dying from the disease every two hours.

Ovarian Cancer Action Chief Executive Katherine Taylor said: “We’re thrilled James is running again for OCA and grateful for his support.

“Ovarian cancer can be a deadly disease and it doesn’t receive the recognition it deserves. The money he raises will go towards truly vital research.”

To donate visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/JamesLubbock