Ovarian cancer is one of the leading causes of death among women. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), a woman's risk of developing ovarian cancer is about one in 87, whereas the chance of dying from it is one in 130.
The good news is that many women recover from ovarian cancer following proper treatment, including surgery and chemotherapy. But unfortunately, the disease can be hard to detect if you rely solely on the onset of symptoms.
Ovarian Cancer Can Be Hard To Detect Early
Speaking with the OnlyMyHealth team, Dr Ashwin K R, Consultant - Surgical Oncology, Aster Whitefield Hospital, Bengaluru, says, "Detecting ovarian cancer early is hard because it doesn't have clear signs, and there are no good tests to check for it regularly."
He adds that the ovaries are deep inside the body, which is why doctors can't easily find tumours through normal exams.
Also Read: Ovarian Cancer: Signs That Women Should Not Ignore
This is particularly worrying because ovarian cancers grow fast and can spread before symptoms show up.
Additionally, since the symptoms are not specific and people might not know about them, they might not see a doctor until the cancer has already grown a lot, Dr Ashwin notes, adding that certain symptoms related to benign conditions also overlap with ovarian cancer symptoms, leading to confusion and complicating the identification process.
For instance, digestive issues like bloating and changes in bowel habits, menstrual changes, urinary problems, pelvic pain, menopause symptoms, and benign ovarian cysts can all mimic ovarian cancer symptoms. While abdominal bloating can be mistaken for indigestion, pelvic pain might be attributed to menstrual cramps. These similarities can delay diagnosis and treatment, says the doctor.
How To Confirm Your Diagnosis?
Symptoms alone should not be a determining factor in diagnosing ovarian cancer.
You can also undergo various tests and physical examinations to confirm or rule out the diagnosis. These include:
- A pelvic exam to feel for anything unusual in the ovaries.
- Tests like ultrasounds or MRIs to take pictures of the ovaries.
- Blood tests to check for certain proteins linked to ovarian cancer.
If doctors still suspect cancer, they might take a small sample of tissue from the ovaries for closer inspection, usually through a small surgery called a laparoscopy, says Dr Ashwin.
He adds that sometimes they might need to do a bigger surgery to look inside the belly and get more tissue samples.
Early Symptoms Of Ovarian Cancer To Watch Out For
According to Dr Ashwin, ovarian cancer can show up in different ways and be different in different women. However, some common signs include:
- Belly swelling that doesn't go away
- Pelvic or abdominal pain that doesn't relate to menstruation or known causes
- Trouble eating or feeling full quickly
- Changes in bathroom habits, like constipation or diarrhoea
- Feeling tired all the time
“While experiencing one or more of these symptoms doesn't necessarily mean ovarian cancer, especially as they can be caused by other conditions, any new, severe, or persistent symptoms can indicate the condition and require further assessment,” the doctor emphasises. This is particularly crucial for people with a family history of ovarian cancer or other risk factors.