Subtle Signs of Ovarian Cancer Can Combine To Become Serious Symptoms

Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer and Signs

Ovarian cancer is the second-most common gynecological cancer in women, but it is the most deadly of cancers. Much like pancreatic cancer, its symptoms are subtle and sometimes are not recognized until it is too late for effective treatment.

"Most women who are diagnosed with it are already in the advanced stages, when the outcomes are poor," says Dr. Barbara Goff, professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the University of Washington School of Medicine. "Women who are diagnosed in the early stages of the illness have cure rates between 70 and 90 percent, but women who are diagnosed with late-stage ovarian cancer have only a 30 percent cure rate."

So far, there is no reliable screening tool for ovarian cancer: nothing like the pap smear for cervical cancer or the mammogram for breast cancer. Goff says a lot of exciting research is looking at blood proteins and chemical markers that could someday provide a routine test. For now, her research shows that the symptoms of early ovarian cancer may be the best available means of spotting the disease.

Individual symptoms on the list are very common, and can show up once or twice a month, especially around the menstrual period, without being signs of ovarian cancer.

Symptoms of ovarian cancer to watch for include:

• Bloating
• Constipation
• Increased abdominal girth
• Pelvic pain
• Urinary symptoms

"Our studies on symptoms reported by women with and without ovarian cancer showed us that these symptoms are in fact often vague," Goff says. "Just because you have bloating or constipation doesn't mean that you have ovarian cancer " you probably don't. You should discuss these symptoms with your health care practitioner when: a symptom persists for more than a couple of weeks, particularly when it is getting worse; if it is occurring every day or every other day; and particularly if it is occurring in combination with other symptoms on the list."

According to Goff's research, 95 percent of women with ovarian cancer reported having some of these symptoms on the average three to six months before their diagnosis. Interestingly, 89 percent of the women who had stage I disease, the stage where the cure rate is about 90 percent, also reported having at least some symptoms prior to their diagnosis.

Goff urges women who notice these symptoms to take them seriously.

"See a physician and make sure that he or she performs a pelvic exam that includes a rectal-vaginal examination of the ovaries," Goff adds. "Nobody likes this kind of exam, but it's important, because the ovaries are best felt with this type of exam."

If the pelvic exam is normal, Goff says it is reasonable to wait a couple more weeks to see if the symptoms go away. If the symptoms don't go away, your doctor may want you to undergo an ultrasound test. It is a relatively inexpensive test that often can be done in a radiologist's office.

"These symptoms can help her health care practitioner order the right tests earlier, so we can get down that diagnostic path sooner," Goff says. "That hopefully will give more women with ovarian cancer a better chance of survival."

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