Ovarian cancer needs a higher profile

Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten have joined forces to advocate greater awareness of ovarian cancer.

The pair attended a Teal Ribbon Day breakfast at Parliament House on Wednesday.

Mr Abbott, who once made 50,000 steps climbing up and down Centrepoint Tower in Sydney to raise money for ovarian cancer, said the struggle against such a disease united both sides of parliament.

Mr Shorten urged women to not let the symptoms of ovarian cancer go unchecked.

"We know that increased public awareness of breast and prostate cancer plays an important part in Australians getting themselves to a doctor earlier ... we need to reach this same level of awareness and understanding for ovarian cancer."