Detecting Early Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

Detecting Early Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer
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Early Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

Until recently, diagnosing ovarian cancer early enough for effective treatment was extremely difficult, leading to the cancer’s reputation as a “silent killer.” For most women, the cancer wasn’t diagnosed until it had already spread to other areas of the body.

Thanks to recent advances made in ovarian cancer research, new treatments for the cancer, and new methods of detection and diagnosis, have tempered its reputation somewhat. For women who are diagnosed in the earliest stages of ovarian cancer, the five-year survival rate is almost 93%. However, early detection is still crucial, as only around 20% of women are diagnosed this early.

New ovarian cancer research has shown that most women have symptoms which can be detected much earlier than was previously thought possible, leading to overall earlier diagnosis for the cancer.

Diagnosing Ovarian Cancer

One significant problem in the diagnosis of the early symptoms of ovarian cancers is that the signs are quite non-specific. This means that in the past women have often been misdiagnosed with other conditions, such as bladder or digestive disorders, before finally receiving a diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

Early symptoms of ovarian cancer may include the following:

  • A feeling of needing to urinate urgently
  • Discomfort or pain in the pelvic region
  • Feeling of pressure, swelling, bloating, or fullness in the abdomen

These are highly non-specific symptoms and can be indicative of other conditions. But recent ovarian cancer research has indicated that women with early stage ovarian cancer are more likely to experience the above symptoms consistently.

Other symptoms may include gastrointestinal symptoms such as indigestion, nausea, changes in bowel or bladder habits, and loss of appetite, as well as others such as lower back pain, changes in menstruation, pain during intercourse, and increased abdominal girth.

Treatment for Ovarian Cancer

The common treatment stand-bys for ovarian cancer are surgery and chemotherapy, which are often administered in combination. A typical treatment course involves surgery to remove tumors and perhaps certain reproductive organs (which may include ovaries, fallopian tubes, and the uterus, depending on the stage of the cancer), followed by one or more courses of chemotherapy to kill any residual cancer cells.

References and Further Reading

The Mayo Clinic on Ovarian Cancer