Ovarian cancer is one of the common types of cancers occurring in women. It is sometimes difficult to diagnose ovarian cancer in its early stages since the symptoms are similar to other common conditions.
Since the ovaries are small and are located deep down in the abdomen, ovarian cancer can also be challenging to detect early. This makes any growths that might be on them hard for a doctor to feel.
What Are the Early Signs of Ovarian Cancer?
Bloating, abdominal pain or digestive problems may be some of the symptoms of ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer causes hardly any noticeable symptoms in the early stages. Those symptoms that occur for ovarian cancer occurs only in the later stages.
These following symptoms of ovarian cancer can develop at any stage of the condition and include:
- bloating
- pelvic or abdominal pain or cramping
- lack of appetite
- indigestion or upset stomach
- nausea
- the need to urinate more frequently
- pressure in the lower back or pelvis
- unexplained exhaustion
- back pain
- constipation
- increased abdominal swelling
- painful sex
- menstrual changes
- weight loss
If these symptoms develop suddenly and persist, or continue more or less daily regardless of basic treatment, they might be symptoms of ovarian cancer.
When to See A Doctor
Health authorities suggest that it is best to meet a doctor to reduce the chances of developing advanced stages of ovarian cancer. This is because it is difficult to diagnose ovarian cancer at an early stage.
A person should consult their doctor or the gynecologist about any potential symptoms as soon as possible. Many symptoms can include any unexplained signs of ovarian cancer, or any new abdominal or pelvic symptoms, that:
- are unrelated to another diagnosed condition
- do not respond to basic treatment, for example, back pain that does not go away with rest and icing, or indigestion that does not improve with diet changes and exercise
- last for more than 2 weeks
- prevail for more than 12 days a month
How Do You Get Ovarian Cancer?
There are many potential causes of ovarian cancer as well as many treatment options, depending on the severity of the condition.
Risk factors
Here are some of the risk factors that may make people more prone to develop ovarian cancer than others:
- some of the family members might have had breast, ovarian, or uterine cancer
- having the BRCA1 and BRAC2 gene
- having Lynch syndrome
- never being pregnant
- obesity
- some fertility and hormone medications
- endometriosis
- age, most cases develop after menopause
People with a family history of reproductive or gastrointestinal cancers are more prone to carrying a specific gene mutation that may increase the risk of ovarian cancer. If at all you find any of the above risk factors, it is highly advisable to consult your family doctor.
Here are some of the factors that may lower the overall risk of developing ovarian cancer:
- being pregnant and breastfeeding
- continuous usage of oral birth control medications for at least 5 years
- having reproductive system surgeries, such as a hysterectomy, ovarian removal, or tubal ligation
Diagnosis
A simple way to diagnose ovarian cancer is by using a CT scan. If a person experiences some of the symptoms of ovarian cancer, that does not mean that the person has the disease.
Ovarian cancer cannot be self-diagnosed at home. Diagnosis requires a range of tests and should be done with a specialist.
To diagnose ovarian cancer, you will have to answer the following types of questions about symptoms including:
- when these symptoms began to appear
- how they have responded to basic treatment
- how long a person has had them
- how often they occur
The doctor will also inquire about the person’s medical history and ask questions about their family history of cancer, especially any history of ovarian and breast cancer. The doctor will perform a pelvic exam to see if the ovaries are inflamed, enlarged, or if there is fluid in the abdomen.
A doctor will order additional testing if:
- they note any abnormalities during the pelvic exam
- the person has symptoms of ovarian cancer
- a person’s family history shows the likeness to develop ovarian cancer
The oncologist will help a person decide the best way to proceed with treating and managing the condition. This article gives an overall idea about the diagnosis, symptoms and risk factors of ovarian cancer.
