Mums-to-be from East Devon are being recruited for an important new research project.

FORCE Cancer Charity has made a grant of £25,000 for an 18-month study at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital; monitoring blood for signs of ovarian and bowel cancer during pregnancy.

The number of women over 40 having babies is increasing and although cancers in pregnancy are extremely rare, the risk of ovarian and bowel cancers increases with age.

Ultrasound scanning is a well-established part of early pregnancy care and has led to a rise in the number of ovarian masses identified.

These are usually benign but some may be malignant and it is often difficult to know which is which and how to treat them, while looking after both mother and baby.

The research will help plot a normal range of markers in the blood which can determine whether a lump is cancerous.