Ovarian Cancer Symptoms

Let us begin with the anatomy of a woman's body before taking the plunge into the information about ovarian cancer. When a mention of ovaries is made, it is usually referred to the grape shaped organs on the either side of the uterus; these ovaries are situated in the pelvic area of a woman's body. Ovaries have the function of producing eggs for fertilization and also the secretion of hormones that are required for proper function in a female body. These hormones are Estrogen and Progesterone. A small amount of testosterone is also produced by ovaries.

Now coming back to ovarian cancer, it is one of the most common types of cancer that affects women all over the globe. In US, it is the most prevalent cancer in women. It ranks fifth in the cause of death by cancer in women. The worst part of this type of cancer is that it is not easily detected. This makes it even more fatal. Less than one-third of the patients' cases are diagnosed before the spread of cancer. It is sad to say that this cancer takes the toll of millions of lives globally. The statistics reveal that each year, 25,000 new cases of ovarian cancer are detected in US alone!

Ovarian cancer is called silent killer because of the reason that it is very difficult to detect.

There are different types of ovarian cancer depending upon the different types of tissues of ovaries that they originate from. They are as follows:

• The cancer that originates from epithelial cells. This type of ovarian cancer is the most common. The epithelial cells are located on the outer surface of the ovaries.
• The cancer originating from the germ cells that form eggs or from stroma that is the supporting tissue of the organ.
• Benign tumor that is non-cancerous in nature.
• Cysts that develop in the ovaries.

There are no obvious reasons for the occurrence of ovarian cancer. It could happen for any reason. The only thing that one can take care as a preventive measure is to be healthy and keep good personal hygiene.

The benign tumors are non-cancerous and do not spread to the other organs, they are not life threatening. While malignant tumors grow and spread to the other parts of the body and are cancerous. These tumors can prove to be life threatening.

The early detection of ovarian cancer has minimal chances. The symptoms are not prominent and are usually ignored as minor discomforts in the body or confused with some other diseases. It becomes more difficult to detect ovarian cancer because no two women suffering from ovarian cancer will have the same symptoms. There is no characteristic symptom for this type of cancer.

These symptoms include:

• Pelvic or abdominal pain.
• Frequent urination and urgent need to urinate.
• Bloating.

As it can be noticed, these symptoms are not much prominent and can be easily confused with digestion or urinating problems. This inability to detect ovarian cancer through minor symptoms leads to further spread. That is the exact reason why only 20% of the affect woman can detect the cancer early. No particular early detection method or screening test is available. Heavy bleeding and vaginal discharge along with a swollen lower abdomen are the symptoms that could be more dangerous than the others, so one must look out for these signs.

Other symptoms may include:

• fatigue
• back pain
• stomach upset
• pain during sex
• menstrual changes
• constipation
• poor appetite and the feeling of heaviness in the stomach

There are no specific parameters by which the patient can judge their condition but a serious thought must be given if these symptoms occur frequently and refuse to go. Experiencing these problems persistently for as long as 2 to 3 weeks is the reason enough for you to rush to the doctor to get yourself checked.

The most you can do is to look out for the minutest of the changes in the body and never ignore even the most common of the discomfort. Every little detail should be paid heed to because; you can never tell that a minor case of back pain or constipation is the silent messenger of ovarian cancer.

You should see a gynecologic oncologist if you suspect any symptoms to be of ovarian cancer.